It appears that hackers have weaponized our inability to type the correct web address.  And they are using this as a way to introduce malware onto Android phones and PC.

What are the Hackers doing?

A group of hackers has started to register domains that are very similar to official websites for companies or apps. So if we slightly misspell the address we might end up on their site instead of the proper one. This type of hacking is called typosquatting.

Example of addresses used for typosquatting

This can allow hackers to get personal data and private keys from unsuspecting users. They do this by bombarding anyone visiting these sites will malware. This comes in the form of the app you are looking to install from the original site.

An investigation into this has shown that at least 27 brands and app names are being targeted by this kind of attack. Among these are Tiktok
Vidmate, Snapchat, Paypal, and even more dev-focused apps like Notepad+ and the Tor Browser.

Take an extra look and make sure that the address you typed is the correct one. And that the app you are looking to download is properly spelled and has many downloads and reviews. It at least looks to be the best and only way to protect ourselves from this type of attack.

Do you perhaps have any experience with this type of attack, typosquatting? If so please share your experience with us so that we all can learn from it. If you would like to support me and the content I make, please consider following me, reading my other posts, or why not do both instead.

See you on the interwebs!

Picture provided by: https://pixabay.com/