{"id":1125,"date":"2022-01-18T12:23:40","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T12:23:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/threatcop.ai\/blog\/?p=805"},"modified":"2024-08-12T15:38:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T10:08:30","slug":"scareware-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Scareware Attack via Web App Exploitation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anxiety, stress, fear, shock, etc., are the terms that have always been used in medical science to emphasize psychological issues or disorders. But similar things have seeped into the cybersecurity domain in the form of \u201cScareware Attacks.\u201d This attack works by creating panic and a sense of urgency among the users to download software that is infected with malware.<\/span><\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#What_is_a_Scareware_Attack\" >What is a Scareware Attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_Expert\" >Book a Free Demo Call with Our Expert<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Malwares_Role_in_This_Attack\" >Malware&#8217;s Role in This Attack<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Difference_between_Scareware_and_Ransomware\" >Difference between Scareware and Ransomware<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Impact_of_Covid-19_on_Malware_Attacks\" >Impact of Covid-19 on Malware Attacks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Popular_Scareware_Attacks\" >Popular Scareware Attacks<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Tech_Support_Scam_by_Supportcom\" >Tech Support Scam by Support.com<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#Scareware_Attack_on_the_Minneapolis_Star_Tribune_Website\" >Scareware Attack on the Minneapolis Star Tribune Website<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#How_to_Prevent_Scareware\" >How to Prevent Scareware?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#How_to_Remove_Scareware\" >How to Remove Scareware?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/scareware-attack\/#The_Solution_is_to_Raise_Awareness\" >The Solution is to Raise Awareness<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numerous cyber attacks are carried out using malware, and each of them is characterized by the approach of the attack. For example, when data is stolen by infecting the system with malware and a ransom is demanded, it is known as ransomware. Similarly, if malware gets injected and monitors all the activities of users and delivers it to attackers, then it is spyware.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Scareware_Attack\"><\/span><strong>What is a Scareware Attack?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A scareware Attack is a<\/span> <\/span><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wiper-malware\/\"><b>malware attack<\/b><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\"> that is carried out by threat actors using <strong>social engineering tactics<\/strong>. They target users in general by displaying ads or pop-ups on specific websites, scaring them that their computer systems are vulnerable.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Users are enticed to purchase useless software, download <strong>malware-infected software<\/strong>, visit websites that automatically download malware into the system, and so on. The notion of social engineering tactics being used in this attack is to create a sense of urgency and claim that the data of users is in a vulnerable position.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n<title>Threatcop \u2013 Book a Free Demo<\/title>\n<link href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Outfit:wght@300;400;500;600;700&#038;display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\">\n<style>\n  .tc-wrap , .tc-wrap ::before, .tc-wrap ::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }\n  .tc-wrap { font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif; width: 100%; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding: 20px 10px; }\n  .tc-card { width: 100%; max-width: 820px; background: #fff; border-radius: 20px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 20px 60px rgba(24,57,148,0.13), 0 4px 16px rgba(24,57,148,0.07); display: flex; flex-direction: row; }\n  .tc-left { background: linear-gradient(160deg, #1e44b0 0%, #183994 40%, #0e2570 100%); 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never shared with third parties\n        <\/div>\n      <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script>document.getElementById('tc-page-source').value = window.location.href;<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scareware is a <strong>scam<\/strong> where people are manipulated to believe that they are in some kind of threatening situation. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, some sites immediately show an ad of users being traced and direct them to download software so that they can protect themselves. Such software is more likely to contain malware or threatening scripts.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">According to the FBI\u2019s IC3:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Tech support frauds accounted for a $54 million loss<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2019. The number of complaints filed in the US was 13,633.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The report by IC3 also shows that in the same year, <strong>scareware attacks incurred losses of $2,009,119<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Malwares_Role_in_This_Attack\"><\/span><strong>Malware&#8217;s Role in This Attack<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term \u2018<\/span><b><i>malware<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019 refers to malicious software. Malware is a kind of software, as a whole or sometimes a part of the software, whose purpose is to damage or destroy computer systems. Various forms of malware are quite popular nowadays, such as <strong>worms<\/strong>, <strong>spyware<\/strong>, <strong>Tofsee malware<\/strong>, <strong>trojan horses<\/strong>, <strong>adware<\/strong>, <strong>ransomware<\/strong>, etc.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">These types of malware are very infamous because of direct attacks or the scale of damage they incur on the systems. While in many other cases, these programs are fitted into some other software or file system. When that software or file system is executed, then these scripts are also executed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The role of malware, specific to scareware attacks, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is based upon the fact that the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> user is fearful or scared and needs to install a particular software<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That software is malicious as it contains some kind of script that is intended to incur a breach in the security system or give unauthorized access. The messages or information relayed by scamware scammers, direct the user to procure software or tech services that are inclusive of malware scripts or programs.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Difference_between_Scareware_and_Ransomware\"><\/span><strong>Difference between Scareware and Ransomware<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The activities that are considered to be ransomware <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are basically infecting the system with malware and procuring information. This information is later traded for a huge amount of money from organizations. The ransomware is purely carried out through phishing or other tactics that involve getting credentials or bypassing security.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">But in the case of a scareware attack, <strong>it\u2019s employees&#8217; unawareness and fear that leads to the attack<\/strong>. The notification or advertisement showing the system in a vulnerable position creates a sense of fear among the users. That\u2019s why the stated actions lead them to download malware unknowingly, leading to the compromise of data from the systems.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"508\" height=\"276\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Scareware-vs-Ransomware-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10137\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.8405797101449275;width:820px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Source: IT World Canada)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Impact_of_Covid-19_on_Malware_Attacks\"><\/span><strong>Impact of Covid-19 on Malware Attacks<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Covid-19 started to impact the global cybersecurity infrastructure in early 2020. The pandemic&#8217;s most significant contributing factor was the global fear environment. This fear manifested itself not only biologically, but also in cybersecurity systems, which became vulnerable to cyber attackers. In the meantime, many infamous and humongous cyberattacks took place, causing panic in the cyber world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Threat attackers used this pandemic as an opportunity to carry out cyber attacks which can be categorised under scareware attacks. These attacks involved malicious actors sending caution messages or ads to users. These <strong>caution messages portrayed covid-related threats to users<\/strong>, and they were <strong>lured into a malicious campaign<\/strong>. They were asked to install certain software or PDFs that had the necessary precaution measures or information regarding Covid-19.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Like such situations, the unaware or frightened users often download malware unknowingly and fall victim to cyberattacks.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Popular_Scareware_Attacks\"><\/span><strong>Popular Scareware Attacks<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The scareware methodology is equally used by cyber attackers and scammers to lure and scam users. It provides a mechanism for persuading people to buy software or download something that is actually not essential. Below are some popular examples of scareware scams.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tech_Support_Scam_by_Supportcom\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Tech Support Scam by Support.com<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">According to a report by the Federal Trade Commission (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/press-releases\/2019\/03\/office-depot-tech-support-firm-will-pay-35-million-settle-ftc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>FTC<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), a <\/span><b>tech support company whose website was support.com was carrying out a scareware scam<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In 2019, <\/span><b>they were fined $35 million in settlements with the FTC.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This settlement is meant to pay back the scammed users. <\/span><b>This website was providing diagnostic services which generated false alarms about the security and health of the system.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Then it offered users the option to purchase services to repair the issues.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scareware_Attack_on_the_Minneapolis_Star_Tribune_Website\"><\/span><strong>Scareware Attack on the Minneapolis Star Tribune Website<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">According to the US Department of Justice (<\/span><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/latvian-national-pleads-guilty-scareware-hacking-scheme-targeted-minneapolis-star-tribune\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DOJ<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), a guy claiming to be a part of a scareware hacking scam pleaded guilty. Between May 2009 and June 2011, Peteris Sahurovs was a part of a tech support fraud ring that targeted the visitors of the Minneapolis website. <\/span><b>Sahurovs informed the DOJ that he had received $250,000 upfront for his involvement for over a year.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"661\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/scareware-forbes.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10139\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">(Source: Forbes)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Prevent_Scareware\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How to Prevent Scareware?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Precaution and <strong>awareness<\/strong> are the best preventative measures against cyber attacks.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">A user must be cautious about pop-ups or banners that they see on the websites.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">They should be able to comprehend which ads could lead them to harm.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">They must <strong>avoid installing or downloading security software<\/strong> or just checking up on software from <strong>unauthorized sources<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Always use authorized software for scanning threats or prevention of them.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">If a user observes any kind of ad or pop window asking them to take a certain action, then they must close the whole window rather than just clicking on close or cancel. Also, one must not accept any technical support from unknown security services.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Remove_Scareware\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How to Remove Scareware?<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The most common malware attacks usually take place on mobile devices. So, in the case of malware detected on a phone device, it must be reported to device administration to get a security patch, or if the damage is imminent, the device must be reset.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Apart from that, in computer systems, malware can get injected and get activated after some time. In such cases, the antivirus or anti-malware employed in the system must be updated periodically.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">In the worst-case scenario, the only option is to erase the memory. This is done when anti-malware software is unable to resolve the issue or remove the malware. That\u2019s why multiple layers of security are employed within the hardware of the system to make sure that malware doesn\u2019t get into the system.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"552\" height=\"414\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/scareware.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10142\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Solution_is_to_Raise_Awareness\"><\/span><strong>The Solution is to Raise Awareness<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People get more fearful when they are unaware of certain things. A malware attack is conducted because people get frightened of certain instances such as virus detection in the system, location tracking, etc.&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This allows the attackers to allure users by providing them with a medium as a resolution. This situation is extremely sensitive for employees in the organisation as it can put the organization\u2019s cyber system at risk. That\u2019s why every organisation needs to carry out <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/a-cisos-guide-to-security-awareness-training-for-employees\/\"><b>cybersecurity awareness training<\/b><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\"> for their employees. This will enable them to become more vigilant and cautious about such manipulative acts of instilling fear in their victims and luring them into a cyberattack.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anxiety, stress, fear, shock, etc., are the terms that have always been used in medical science to emphasize psychological issues or disorders. But similar things have seeped into the cybersecurity domain in the form of \u201cScareware Attacks.\u201d This attack works by creating panic and a sense of urgency among the users to download software that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyber-attacks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Scareware Attack: Malware Attack via Web App Exploitation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A scareware attack is a malware attack that is carried out by threat actors using social engineering tactics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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