How hackers can steal your data and spread viruses with Fake News

Fake News is very present on the Internet. They are basically fake news, articles that appear to be legitimate but are actually intended to scam. They are usually a hook for us to fall into a trap. It frequently appears on social networks, with a striking image or text, and when clicked, it takes us to a page controlled by a hacker. In this article we are going to talk about how they can steal data and passwords by this method.

Attacks with Fake News

How hackers can steal your data and spread viruses with Fake News

The goal of hackers with Fake News, at least in most cases, is to attract attention so that we click on some link . For example, you may be browsing Facebook and suddenly you see an eye-catching news post, with a text that makes you curious and you click. It really is fake news, it does not bring anything positive, but you have already entered.

Once you are inside the problem begins. That website may collect personal data . You may have other links to log in to a platform such as Facebook itself, mail, etc. This way it will not only record your personal information, but it could even steal your passwords.

But in addition, they could sneak viruses into you without you realizing it. When accessing a false link through a Fake News, sometimes a file appears that you have to download. They can use a bait as if it were an update or an interesting document related to that supposed news. But in reality, by clicking on that file and downloading it, what you are doing is downloading a virus.

Therefore, as you can see, viruses can sneak in or steal your data if you click on Fake News. It is something that is really widespread on the internet, as we find fake news everywhere. They are common especially on social networks like Facebook or Twitter, but also when entering forums, doing Google searches and ending up on a malicious site, etc.

Evitar las Fake News en Internet

How to avoid problems

So what can we do to be protected at all times? Undoubtedly a very important factor is common sense . It is essential not to make mistakes. You can always analyze links, something that will allow you to detect when a link may be a fraud and will compromise your security.

In addition, whenever you enter a web page, whatever it may be, you must be careful about where you log in or what files you are going to download. It is important not to make mistakes and always verify that you are on the official site and that you are going to put your data without it ending up on a server controlled by cybercriminals.

It is also important to always have a good antivirus . This way it will help you detect threats and remove malware when it detects something strange. You can use options like Windows Defender, Avast or Bitdefender. However, there is a wide range of both free and paid options.

On the other hand, having the system updated will also help you avoid problems that may appear through Fake News. This way you can correct vulnerabilities and prevent them from being exploited by attackers.