Experts - Cybercriminals Using Missing of AirAsia Flight as Bait

Tech.firstpost.com reported on 29th December, 2014 quoting a warning of security experts as "Cybercriminals have now focused abusing the unfortunate incidence of the misplaced AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ 8501 which lost communication with Air Traffic Control on 28th December, 2014.

According to a statement from AirAsia, an Indonesia flight QZ8501 with 162 passengers and crews onboard, lost its contact with air traffic control at 7.24 a.m. local time over the Java Sea after taking off from AirAsia. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 32,000 feet and was asked to go to 38,000 feet due to cloudy weather in the area at the time of disappearance.

The website of Hacker News reported on 28th December, 2014 their team of security experts had found some messages on social networking websites declaring that the missing AirAsia flight QZ850 had been discovered with all its travelers on board safe and alive.". However, on clicking on the news link, the user was redirected to maligned websites.

The website of the Hacker News added that cybercriminals are aware that many people are looking for news updates about the missing flight.

Gmanetwork.com published news on 30th December, 2014 quoting the website of the Hacker News as "Cybercriminals may also come up with fake news websites to spread malware and infect a large number of online users. If any link claims to show you a video footage of the missing Indonesia flight QZ8501, please keep in your mind that there is no such video footage available as yet and you should be aware of such fake videos and links which could distribute malware across many social media and other sites to infect your network and system."

Unfortunately, similar malevolent attempts have been made before also. Firstly, mysterious missing of Malaysian Airlines MH370 on 8th March, 2014 on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur and then shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on 17th July, 2014. In both cases, cybercriminals benefited from public's inquisitiveness to provide bogus news and allure them to websites which would ultimately steal their personal information.

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