Currently, the number of cases of cyberattack damage to companies is increasing, and there are cases where personal computers are hijacked by various methods such as malware infection and unauthorized intrusion. If a company’s personal computer is hijacked, there is a risk that it will develop into a serious incident such as information leakage or unauthorized tampering.
Even with security measures in place, 100% protection is not possible. In the unlikely event that your computer is hijacked and remotely controlled or illegally intruded, what should you do? This time, we will thoroughly explain how to take over a computer and how to deal with it.
What is computer hijacking?
Computer hijacking is when a computer is attacked in some way by a malicious third party, and fraudulent acts such as remote control or tampering are performed. Mainly, by infecting malicious programs such as Trojan horses, the method of depriving the computer of operating privileges is taken. In addition, due to the recent malware epidemic, the damage caused by hijacking of company computers of large and small companies is increasing.
Behavior when a computer is hijacked
If your computer is hijacked, it behaves as follows.
The computer suddenly behaves strangely (such as a sudden restart)
Abnormally heavy movement
Suspicious error message “I was infected with a virus” suddenly appears
I am receiving an unusual number of spam emails
If you can confirm behavior that is clearly different from normal behavior, it is possible that your computer has been hijacked.
Click here for how to respond if you suspect that your computer has been hijacked
How to take over a computer
- Virus infection such as malware
- Malware infection is carried out through the following routes.
- Opening a virus-infected file
Connected to an unauthorized Wi-Fi point
In recent years, malware infections such as Emoted and iced ID have become prevalent, and many companies have suffered from cyberattacks. The following page explains in detail how to check if your computer is infected with a virus.
Unauthorized operation by remote control software
Remote control software is used as a service to support the setting and operation of the user’s personal computer. However, if it is exploited by a malicious third party, it will develop into a big risk such as virus infection and computer hijacking.
The remote-control software is installed in the following route.
Suspicious free software downloads
Forced downloads by scammers disguised as user support
It has been confirmed that there are many methods of infecting a user’s computer with a virus and displaying a fake error message to make the user contact a fake support center. Therefore, there is also damage that the user took the word of the fraudulent organization without question and downloaded suspicious software himself, and the computer was hijacked.
Examples of damage caused by computer hijacking
If your computer is hijacked, you may suffer the following damages.
Unauthorized modification of homepages and sites
If your computer is infected with a virus or an unauthorized application software is installed, there is a possibility that a third party may operate your computer illegally from the outside. Crimes that can be considered by remote control include stealing administrator privileges and falsifying websites. In some cases, they rewrote the content on the company’s homepage, installed irrelevant or dangerous links, and tried to spread further virus infections.
In December 2019, Zojirushi Mahobin Group’s Zojirushi You Service experienced a personal information leak due to site alteration. It means that the product information screen and personal information input screen were tampered with due to unauthorized access to Zojirushi’s shopping site.
In the past, there were many mischief crimes such as altering the contents of the site or changing the appearance significantly, but in recent years, the crime of spreading malware infection for money has increased. In addition, the targets of such attacks extend to small and medium-sized enterprises, and there are an increasing number of cases in which they are used as stepping stones for attacks on large
Leakage of sensitive information
Leakage of confidential and personal information is the most damaging effect of a takeover on a company. In particular, the handling of personal information has become stricter year by year, and it can be said that the impact on companies in the unlikely event that personal information is leaked is extremely large.
If a company’s company computer is hijacked by a third party , not only will the security measures of the company be distrusted, but if the official website is tampered with, the image of the company itself will deteriorate from the public. put away. Furthermore, in recent years, there have been an increasing number of cases where infected computers spread to other company computers and smartphones via hijacked computers, becoming perpetrators of cyberattacks .
Points to note when PC hijacking damage is confirmed in the company
In the event that a computer is hijacked or hacked in the company, information system personnel and IT personnel need to pay attention to the following points.
It is necessary to grasp the hijacking/infection situation as soon as possible.
If you do not notice the infection and do not take immediate measures, the damage caused by computer hijacking may spread further.
Malware such as Emoted is said to remain dormant for about 30 days after infection. Once the incubation period is over, the virus starts attacking the computer, and finally the infection becomes visible in the form of information leaks and unauthorized operations. There are many cases in which the computer is hijacked without the user’s knowledge, and by the time they realize it, the damage is irreversibly expanding.
