HR departments targeted by fake CVs & held to ransom by virus

An email hacking virus is now targeting HR departments and forcing professionals to pay a ransom or lose all of their files.

The Inquirer reports that a ransomware called GoldenEye is targeting the departments with fake job applications, taking advantage of the fact that HR are accustomed to opening emails from unknown sources. The scam, which is playing out in Germany, starts with a relatively normal looking job application with two files attached.

The first is a normal CV, designed to lure you into a false sense of security, whereas the second contains malicious software.

Check Point, a security firm, explained: “When a user clicks ‘Enable Content’, the code inside the macro executes and initiates the process of encrypting the files, denying the victim access to his or her files.