Information about recent cyber attacks

For several months, higher education institutions are particularly targeted by cyberattack campaigns, and several have been severely affected.

The Institut Pasteur can be affected too by such attacks, using a new modus operandi by trapping legitimate-looking software with a malware specialized in information stealing: once downloaded, it has the ability to stole the information contained on your device (login, passwords, credit card codes, documents, etc.).

Malicious actors are currently using 2 main techniques to have such malwares installed:
 

• «Typosquatting»

This technique lures you into visiting a malicious website by masquerading it into a legitimate, using a slight modification in the website typography.

Sincerely thinking you are visiting a legitimate website; you instead visit a trapped one that makes you download a malware.

Attackers are good at masquerading and often do everything to make you believe that you are on an official site (respecting the graphic charter, logo, etc.). They can also buy advertising space on your search engine to make their fake website, a copy of the real one, appear in the first result.

 

Other examples: goog1e.com, g00gle.com

 

• The distribution of fake cracked software or trapped software

The attacker lures you into thinking you will obtain a cracked version of the software you want on his website, even gives you a tutorial to install it.

You think you are installing the software you wanted, but instead install a malware. Sometimes, you get the cracked software AND the malware.

If you think you were in such a situation, please contact us as soon as possible!

To avoid such attacks, we call for your vigilance:

• Carefully check the links of the websites you visit to download software

•  Use official versions of software you want to install*

 

If you have any doubt, or think you encountered one of the situations previously mentioned:

• Contact ISS team at rssi@pasteur.fr explaining your situation

• We will analyze the situation and help you solve it

Protecting the Institut from cyberthreats is everyone’s business, thank you very much for your help!
 

*As mentioned in the Information systems user charter “users downloading software that is not authorized or distributed by the Information Systems Department must ensure compliance with licenses for such software”