WhatsApp spam used by ASProx Botnet to Deliver Kuluoz Malware

Photo by: Sean MacEntee

As you probably know, Facebook bought WhatsApp for an obscene amount of money in stock earlier this year. What you might not know is that there's a lot of WhatsApp spam that is being used by ASProx Botnet to deliver nasty Kuluoz malware to unsuspecting  users. This is not good news any way you look at the situation. Keep reading if you want to know more about this as well as what you should do to stay safe.

Here's a look at some of the dates when the WhatsApp problem has made Malcovery's "Today's Top Threats" list.

1. SEPTEMBER 19, 23, 24, 25, 26
2. OCTOBER 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
3. NOVEMBER 14
4. JANUARY 9, 13, 15, 20, 28

Looking at that list, it's easy to start wondering why nothing has been done sooner about the problem. Additionally, it really makes you wonder why Facebook paid so much for the company by offering them stock options.

Going back to November of last year, ComputerWorld published an article about how WhatsApp was one of the top five brands imitated to deliver malware with spam. That's quite a bit of recognition - and not in a good way.

Here's a look at some specific ways you can stay safe and avoid Kuluoz and other malware.

• Use Protection - The very first thing you want to do is make sure you're using some type of protection. The good news is that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get decent anti-virus software these days.
• Update Protection - Having protection software is nice, but if you never update it at all, you're going to find that there's still a high chance your computer will get infected and quit working correctly.
• Be Suspicious - If you're not sure of something online, you want to err on the side of caution and not take any unnecessary risks. Even with a brand like WhatsApp - that's connected to Facebook now - you want to be very careful and know what you're doing.
• Educate Yourself - Last but most certainly not least, you should make an effort to stay informed about how malware works and the steps you can take to protect yourself from it whenever possible. This is really the best way you can make sure your computer stays safe and virus free.

Following the advice above, there's a good chance you'll be able to avoid WhatsApp spam and not get infected with Kuluoz malware. Still, it's a good idea to pay attention and update your anti-virus software all the time. If you have any experience with WhatsApp that's negative, please leave us a comment below. 

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Written by: Jenny Corteza deals with staff outsourcing all the time. She's a writer and dealing with editors and others can sometimes be a problem. Still, she loves writing articles about technology. Go figure.