Hackers are using a new and sophisticated way to steal data from internet users.
The next time you click a link on the internet, be careful. It seems hackers have found a clever way to trick users of Google Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox — and it's not hard to see why some are falling for this trick.
The trick, identified by the Cyber Security News team, secretly replaces certain characters in the URLs of websites to make them look like official websites. This trick is called typosquatting and is very effective.
For example, the official website for Marriott Hotels should be written as marriott.com. However, cybercriminals have cloned it by replacing the “m” with the combination “rn”, creating the URL rnarriottinternational.com. At a quick glance, the characters “rn” merge together and everything seems normal.
Microsoft has also been the subject of a similar hack, and other sites have been created that secretly change characters.
Some examples to observe:
rnarriottinternational.com (m replaced with rn)
rnarriotthotels.com (m replaced with rn)
rnicrosoft.com (m replaced with rn)
micros0ft.com (o replaced with 0)
microsoft-support.com (added a hyphen)
As Cyber Security News explains: “Attackers register domains that replace the letter “m” with the combination “rn,” creating fake pages that look almost identical to the real ones. This technique, known as typosquatting or homoglyph attack, exploits the way modern fonts display text.”
How to protect yourself:
Always check the full URL and make sure it is correct.
Move your cursor over the link before clicking – this shows the full destination.
If you want complete security, enter the page address manually.
Do not click on urgent emails requesting account recovery or hotel reservations without confirming the destination.
Use a password manager, which can help you spot fake sites.
This scam is a reminder that even the most popular sites can be fake and requires constant attention from internet users. /GazetaExpress/
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