Page 41 - Cyber Warnings

It was a strong article, powerful, game-changing news, news that could profoundly affect voters
who would cast their primary ballots the very next day.

But it was fake -- a high-quality fake -- an accurate clone of the distinctive NY Times style, right
down to the embedded adds. To add to the story’s “legitimacy” it was hosted on a copycat
domain, one that could easily be confused for the legitimate www.nytimes.com domain.

For about three hours, the story went viral, achieving 50,000 views and 15,000 shares. The
story was building momentum so quickly that the NY Times was forced to make a statement,
disclaiming the story, and reiterating that Senator Warren has not endorsed either candidate.

A simple prank? It doesn’t seem so. The use of a dedicated website host that mimicked the NY
Times domain took careful planning.

The very next day, Clinton was 7 states and 486 delegates while Sanders claimed 4 states and
321 delegates. Were these results altered by voters who might have been exposed to the
rogue story? Was the Sanders campaign the recipient of a “boost” from voters who saw and
believed this story? We will never know…

Election Day is coming. What will actually happen? I don’t know. As you read these words, the
activists and criminals who want to steal the election will be preparing to launch their final
exploits.

It could be an attack on voting systems, or it could be the publication of real OR fictitious news
that tries to damage the candidates and cause their supporters to break with them.

The only thing you can be sure of is that there will be something. In fact, there will be many
things. When the stakes are the highest, the cyber criminals get the most creative. Get ready.

About the Author

Greg Mancusi-Ungaro is the chief marketing officer for BrandProtect, a
leader in cyber threat monitoring, intelligence and mitigation services.

He is a frequent author and speaker, and a constant evangelist on cyber
security issues, the changing nature of the modern threat landscape, and
the emerging technologies that look beyond the perimeter to drive
enterprise defenses against cyberattack.

He blogs regularly on cyber threat and cyber security at
info.brandprotect.com.

41 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – September 2016 Edition
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