Use Caution When Opening PowerPoint Attachments

The increasingly sophisticated attacks by cyber criminals should have every computer or smartphone user on high alert for any suspicious messages or attachments. The latest attack reported by security experts uses a PowerPoint slideshow attachment to lure unsuspecting users.

PowerPoint is one of the most popular slide sharing programs on the planet. Many business people are familiar with this Microsoft program and may think nothing of opening an attachment. Cyber thieves are using that trust to distribute malware.

They send an email with a PowerPoint slideshow attached with an innocuous name such as "order.ppsx" or "invoice.ppsx." When the recipient clicks on the attachment, they see a screen that says "Loading please wait." Simply hovering a computer's mouse over the link - without even clicking - releases a code to install malware. Most versions of Microsoft Office will display a security warning that allows the user to continue by clicking "Enable." But clicking sets the malware download in motion.

This cunning attack takes advantage of the habit of "hovering" over a suspicious link to determine whether or not it is malicious. But even without clicking on the link or attachment, the malware can be prepped for download. Most people will not associate the following "Enable" message with the action of hovering, believing it to be a legitimate security warning, when it is actually the trigger to install the malware.

Please be extra alert if you receive a PowerPoint attachment or link to a PowerPoint slideshow. Make sure it is from a trusted source and that the person actually sent the link or attachment. Otherwise you may be faced with a pernicious malware program.