CBI alerts States, U.T.s and Central agencies to malicious software threat

News: Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has sent alerts to all the States, Union Territories and the central agencies on a malicious software named Cerberus threat that is taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Facts:

• Cerberus:It is a banking Trojan which is primarily used to steal financial data such as credit card numbers.
• It uses a phishing method to send SMS to lure a user to download the link containing the malicious software.

Additional Facts:

• Trojan horse: It is a malware that disguises itself as a normal file or program to trick users into downloading and installing malware.
• Phishing: It is a method in which users are contacted by email, telephone or text message by posing as a legitimate institution to lure into providing sensitive data such as personal information, banking and credit card details.