It’s just about time for March Madness! Yep, three weeks of phenomenal basketball games, Cinderella moments, surprising knockouts, and, of course, the brackets. It’s estimated that around 70 million people fill out a bracket. So, the odds are good that even if you aren’t a huge NCAA basketball fan, you’ll get in on the hype of the game. And hackers are hoping you do.

Hackers are opportunists. They go where the crowds are, and they go for the easy wins. In other words, they’ll go for March Madness. While individuals are caught up in the excitement of the games and their brackets, hackers will be plotting to steal credentials, lure you into fake websites and deploy ransomware that could wreak havoc on you, or your company, long after the conclusion of the tournament. Consider the March Hackness, Final Four

Spoof Websites And Apps

Creating and monitoring your bracket is one of the best parts of March Madness (in addition to watching the games, of course). And the majority of brackets are created online. This creates the perfect opportunity for hackers to try to lure fans with spoof (a.k.a. fake) websites and apps. Be wary of bracket websites that request excessive amounts of information in order to fill out your bracket. In addition, while watching live stream games via a website is enticing, hackers have been known to embed malware in video players. Even worse, placing a bet via a spoofed website gives hackers easy access to your credit card information.

We’re not trying to squash all of your March Madness fun! We are simply encouraging you to be on high alert. Only go to websites from confirmed, reputable sources. Be cautious of the information that you are providing. If a website is asking for personal information or far too much information, call a foul and do not provide it.

Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are the three-point, overtime win of March Hackness. If you filled out your bracket online or placed a bet, you’re anticipating email updates. And when you are expecting an email, you may let your guard down, skim the content, and click a link within that email without too much investigation. This is what hackers are hoping for. Phishing emails lure you into clicking on a link that could take you to a fake website or have hidden redirects within the links. One wrong click could cost you more than a bad bracket. Stay vigilant during March Madness and take the time to read emails carefully, watch for typos, avoid clicking on links in emails and type in website addresses directly into your browser.

Fake Links In Forums And On Social

There is no shortage of updates on scores, teams, and upsets during March Madness. In fact, your social media feed, and forum feeds, will likely be flooded with news that relates back to March Madness. And, you need to know the update, right? So, one little click is fine, right?

Again, we urge you to play a defensive game. News travels fast on social media, which means a fake link posted by a friend, whose account was hacked, can travel very quickly with the enticement of important information. Don’t click that link. Instead, go to a reputable website by typing in their URL. If the information is truly important news, it will be on a reputable website.

But what about forums? Use extreme caution. You likely do not know the person that is sharing this great highlight video from last night’s game, so don’t click that link.

Ransomware And Malware

This one is a slam-dunk for hackers, and if they can get these installed on your computer or device, it’s a bit like winning the tournament. Fake websites, phishing emails, and fake links all lead to this. And if ransomware or malware gets installed, you may not even know it until it is too late. It could cost you and your company big!

Stay on the defensive, heed our warnings, and keep yourself protected. While we know March Madness is exciting, and it’s easy to get caught up in the hype, we urge you to take a few extra seconds to pause and think, before clicking, watching or sharing info. When in doubt, call a time-out….in other words, don’t click.

Ultimately, we hope you stay out of the March Hackness bracket and enjoy March Madness!

Give our Intivix team a call today at (415) 549-9681 or send an email to [email protected] and we’ll get to work for you and deliver the best IT Service.