This warning has become necessary because of the increasing rate of cyber-attack. Some people quickly rush to open photos, videos, music files sent to them via #Whatsapp without a second thought.
Please note, hackers use the technique called Steganography to deliver virus into your device and attack you.
What is Steganography?
Steganography, is derived from the Greek word, meaning, #CoveredWriting. It is a data hiding technique used to transmit a cover media with secret information through public channels of communication between a sender and receiver, avoiding perceptual detection from an observer. The cover images can be picture, text, Video, and sound file.
In cryptography, it was developed to allow for secured transmission and delivery of secret information especially where that information is to be delivered in #Confidential form.
Historical Perspective:
An interesting Data Loss Protection (DLP) use of steganography occurred during the tenure of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The SANS Institute’s 2001 paper on Steganography details the use to identify those individuals who were releasing information in an unauthorized manner to the press. Thatcher had the word processors programmed to encode their identity in the spacing of words within the documents so that any document shared could be traced back to the originator.
Similarly, as the cyber criminals are demonstrating their mastery of steganography, one should not be surprised to learn that nation states have also perfected the artform. This was evidenced in 2010, when 10 Russian SVR (external intelligence) officers were arrested, pleaded guilty to espionage and then were sent back to Russia because of an “exchange” between the US and Russia.
Unfortunately, as the surge on internet uses increases, and with the advent of multiple digital communications platforms especially the New Media, hackers have found ways of leveraging Steganography to deliver malicious payload to their targets.
How hackers deliver their malicious payload to you:
A smart hacker looks out for trends in the social media, for instance, a recent development that ignite curiosity among social media users, for instance. the recent death of Davido’s child, and knowing people would be interested in the truth if the child is dead or alive, the hacker would use the image or video of the child and embed his malicious payload, with an interesting caption: “BREAKING, DAVIDO’S CHILD IS ALIVE, WATCH LIVE VIDEO”
With caption above, a curious person will want to open the video and watch. Once you open the video, the malicious payload downloads itself into your device, and begin wreaking havoc everywhere, searching contact list, searching for Bank account details and anything that might help to attacker to compromise your confidentiality.
Another scenario could be likened to that when the President Buhari was said to have died and that the one now in #AsoRock is cloned one from Sudan by name Jibrin. It was an interesting era in our political space, and the gullible jumped onto the falsehood and were sharing a picture someone purported to be Jibrin. That was a perfect delivery asset for steganographic object. Here, the hacker gets an image of the purported Jibrin from Sudan and loads his payload, with an inviting caption: “BREAKING: THE MAN IN ASO ROCK IS JIBRIN FROM SUDAN, BUHARI IS DEAD”
In the beautiful attractive photo attached to this warning, I have added a hidden #TEXT (this could as well be a #VIRUS) that you cannot see in the photo. But, under the hood, there is a text on it.
Now, do research and pick a choice Steganographic tools and open the photo, you will see the text I have hidden with the photo. That is how payloads are delivered to your device. You can use this online tool: https://stylesuxx.github.io/steganography/
Please be guided accordingly.
I am Destiny Young
