Holiday Season Opportune Time for Malicious Spam

Historically, cyber criminals use major social, economic and political events as platforms to successfully deliver malicious software through spam emails. Officials in Delhi, India, are warning computer users of what they expect to be a busy month for spam-hosted malware, as many major events will take place in the city this month, Mid-Day reports.

According to the source, October is the beginning of the festival season in Delhi, as major events like the Formula-1 race are set to take place in the city. Additionally, the high holiday of Diwali is coming up, leading many shoppers to stores and online to find deals on goods, opening an opportune method for hackers to trick bargain hunters.

"During this time, a large portion of the Indian population will be out shopping and looking for holiday deals," Vivek Vohra, a cyber crime expert, told the news provider. "In the process, spammers attach malware to their emails by adorning them with a greeting or discount tag attracting recipients to click on them, which in reality results in unleashing a virus on their system."

In August, cyber criminals were especially active following Hurricane Irene and the Virginia earthquake in the United States. For this reason, shoppers around the world should pay extra attention to what they are clicking on this holiday season.