Virus danger: How to protect yourself from Emotet

For some time now, the name Emotet has been doing the rounds. This is a highly dangerous piece of malware that primarily targets banking applications. Read how you can protect yourself.

High-level danger: Emotet victims have already included big, prominent names.

The danger posed by Emotet is so great that even Microsoft has officially pointed it out. The basics should therefore be known to every Internet user.

How to protect yourself from Emotet

Emotet is a Trojan. As such, it would like to get onto your computer unnoticed in order to then install software with which it can spy on the access data for online banking.Consequently, it is crucial not to let Emotet onto your computer in the first place:

• Emotet works according to social engineering with fake e-mails, which, however, appear deceptively genuine. Do not download dubious attachments or those from unknown senders. As soon as something seems strange, get to the bottom of it - even before downloading.
• The same applies to links to external sites.
• Windows users should make sure to have the latest updates installed, as Emotet likes to exploit a vulnerability of previous versions ("Eternal Blue").
• Use only really secure passwords.
• Use two-factor authentication whenever possible.
• A particularly high level of security is provided by professional security software, which is usually chargeable.

In the end, your own behavior is thus the most important aspect. If you suspect that Emotet is already connecting to your computer, you should immediately isolate it (i.e. take it offline) so that the virus cannot spread further, for example through your mail contacts. The best solution is then a cleanup of all hard drives followed by a reinstallation.