Hackers extend their reach via snail mail

If you think hackers can only get to you online, you’re in for a surprise. Hackers are using all channels available to them, including snail mail. Two recent examples show how cyberattackers are trying to take advantage of the trust of non-electronic communications.

KrebsOnSecurity reports that state governments are warning citizens of a new snail mail phishing scam. The vector? A letter containing a malware-laden CD, accompanied by a confusing note that is mostly in English but also has random Chinese characters. While the security risk for an attack like this might be obvious to some, others are lured by curiosity and unaware of what could be in store for them. To that point, Forbes points out that a 2016 study showed that 50% of people would pick up and plug in a random USB drive that they found in a public place.

A few months ago, an even more sophisticated snail mail scam was targeting corporations. Fraudsters intercepted mail containing chipped debit cards, replacing the chip in the new card with a chip from an old card. When the corporate office activated the “new” card, the criminal possessing the old chip was then able to use it to drain accounts.

As the range of attacks and solutions expands, hackers are looking for innovative ways to capitalize on the unsuspecting or the distracted.