Comments by: Ashwin Ram, Cyber Security Evangelist, at Check Point Software Technologies

Cyber criminals are always looking for new ways to acquire new victims. They will look to exploit platforms, operating systems, applications, infrastructure etc. to execute their scams and malicious activities. Discord is just one of many messaging platforms that is used by cyber criminals and threat actors. WhatsApp and Telegram are other messaging platforms that Check Point has extensively reported on. The bottom-line is that individuals and businesses need to understand that there is always going to be a risk associated with using any application on the Internet.

Here are some tips on how to avoid being a victim to these types of threats:

• Always run the latest version of software
• Don’t install random applications just because it’s free.
• Secure your devices with appropriate security, and don’t forget to secure your mobile phones using a strong Mobile Threat Defense solution.
• Make sure your security allows you to scan a link before opening it.
• Use strong passwords, if possible use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Don’t aimlessly provide permissions to application; use principle of least privilege