A new free e-book has surfaced online, talking about how consumers can use the Darknet as a way to keep their identity and Bitcoin transactions anonymous at all times. While this is certainly a topic many people will take an interest in, the origins of this book – as well as its download link – are rather questionable. After all, it’s not like this information can’t be found for free on the Internet anyway, assuming interested parties want to put some effort into it.
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Whenever somebody posts a link on the internet to something that may or may not be illegal content, users will need to be warier than ever. Although this file is hosted on MEGA, there is no way to determine whether or not this is just a regular PDF of a free book, or a file packing malware and ransomware threats under the hood.
As we covered in our Bitcoin ransomware articles, most of this malware spread through infected files, including PDFs, ZIP files, and Word documents. Moreover, this free Darknet guide was shared all over Reddit, indicating the posted is looking to either get the book into the hands of any many people as possible or wants to infect a lot of Bitcoin users with malicious software.
Virustotal is not raising any flags as far as the download goes, but it is always best to open the file on a virtual machine first once it has been downloaded, to avoid any malware or another type of malicious software from being installed on one’s own computer. Do keep in mind this could be a completely legitimate version of this book although it seems very doubtful right now.
It would not be the first time someone attacks Bitcoin users in an attempt to steal their wallets, as this can be quite a lucrative business. Especially when considering how many people are interested in protecting their anonymity at all times, and how the Darknet is a rather intriguing topic. Disguising an e-book as a malicious software seems to be a smart move in that regard.
If people want to find out more about the Darknet and keeping their identity and Bitcoins anonymous, they should do a few Google searches instead. All of the information you can find there will help you get along the way of remaining ‘off the grid”. A lot of people have tried to perfect their strategy, and some are even willing to share a few tips.
Source: Reddit
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