With the arrival of November, commerce experiences the excitement of Black Friday, one of the busiest dates of the year. This commercial effervescence, eagerly awaited by consumers seeking irresistible promotions, also catches the attention of cybercriminals.
According to Google surveys, 7 out of 10 Brazilians plan to participate in Black Friday shopping, which will take place on Friday, November 29th this year, a clear indicator of the strengthening of this date in the national market, driven by an increase of 5 percentage points compared to previous years.
The transition to the online shopping environment is not just a trend; it is a consolidated reality, with over 90% of Brazilian consumers choosing to purchase their items online. However, not all companies kept up with this transition safely, which left them vulnerable to the sharp eyes of cybercriminals. Projections by Juniper Research, in partnership with Mastercard, indicate that by 2027, financial losses due to digital scams could exceed the remarkable mark of $340 billion.
“In addition to the already known risks of phishing and financial fraud, our recent report reveals the alarming sophistication of a quantitative increase in malicious agents that are constantly emerging, such as stealers and banking trojans,” explains Frank Vieira, CRO at Apura Cyber Intelligence.
The specialist highlights some threats, such as JaskaGO, a malware that attacks Windows and macOS systems, innovative due to its numerous commands and various persistence mechanisms. Other malware targeting banking systems also gained prominence, such as the new Coyote Trojan, which targeted users from over 60 banking institutions, with 90% of infections in Brazil. The Trojan CarnavalHeist, also recently discovered, targets Brazilian financial institutions, using sophisticated tactics to avoid detection and drain bank accounts.
Should only large companies protect themselves?
In the face of this threatening scenario, it is vital that not only large companies but also medium-sized ones seek to raise their security standards, especially during Black Friday, with robust cybersecurity and fraud detection measures. Thus, it is essential to understand the existing risks and anticipate the threats from digital criminals and fraudsters.
Vieira cites BTTng, Apura's disruptive open-source threat intelligence tool, which has a SaaS (Software as a Service) architecture and maps the various layers of the internet, including the Deep and Dark Web, facilitating active search for cyber threats. Vieira highlights the customizable configuration capability of collection robots, as well as regular bulletins that highlight the main threats and incidents in the cybersecurity landscape, both nationally and internationally.
Since BTTng is a robust and well-established tool for large companies, Apura will launch a modular cyber intelligence platform in early 2025, based on BTTng, focusing on medium-sized companies and their more specific cybersecurity needs. It is the BTTse, which allows the selection of security components that best suit each organization's budget and operational needs.
As Frank Vieira emphasizes, “instead of purchasing a complete intelligence solution, companies can select specific modules that offer effective protection against cyber threats and fraud.”
Among the notable features of BTTse is its ability to immediately detect credential leaks, prevent misuse of data by fraudsters, and monitor social platforms for the diligent removal of fake or fraudulent profiles. The willingness to neutralize phishing attacks and carry out takedowns of illegitimate pages ensures an essential safeguard against fraud.
One of the most frequent scams during Black Friday is fraudulent websites with false promotion ads, as well as malicious advertisements and profiles on social media, which are easily identified by BTTse and can be quickly taken down, preserving the company's image and protecting consumers.
According to Vieira, this real-time effectiveness is essential not only to preserve the operational integrity of sales during Black Friday but also to solidify consumer trust. With robots processing millions of pieces of information daily, the BTTse solution generates instant alerts about potential threats, ensuring that your company recognizes and mitigates risks before they cause greater damage.
“Therefore, while promotions attract customers and promise record sales volumes, cyber protection must gradually appear on companies’ strategic agenda. Investing in systems that protect digital assets and maintain consumer loyalty is imperative. In a technological world that is constantly evolving, being prepared is not only necessary, but absolutely crucial,” Vieira emphasizes.
