Malvertising emerges as growing access point for cybercriminals
Malicious online ads, or malvertising, have become one of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to break into systems, no hacking required. By exploiting legitimate advertising networks, attackers can deliver malware to unsuspecting users, often without any direct interaction.
Earlier this year, Microsoft Threat Intelligence uncovered a large-scale malvertising campaign that compromised nearly one million devices globally. The attackers used malicious advertisements to redirect users from illegal streaming sites to GitHub-hosted malware, demonstrating how malvertising can exploit trusted platforms to deliver malicious payloads without direct user interaction.
While many of these attacks are aimed at consumers, the consequences often spill into corporate environments. Employees may encounter malicious ads while using work devices for personal browsing or while performing work-related duties. Once malware reaches a company endpoint, it can hijack browser sessions, steal credentials, or deploy payloads that move laterally through the network. For businesses, the entry point may look like a harmless ad — but the fallout can be anything but.
