Windows 10 warning: Nasty new virus will make you think twice before using Google

Bitdefender, which discovered the virus, warned that it was specifically designed to mislead cybersecurity experts.

“From what we can tell, this new MosaicLoader attempts to infect as many devices as possible, likely to build up market share and then sell access to infected computers to other threat actors,” Bogdan Botezatu, director of threat research and reporting at Bitdefender, told ZDNet.
This password-stealing Windows malware is distributed via ads in search results | ZDNet

However, the cybersecurity company added that there’s an easy way to protect yourself: stop searching for cracked software.

“Mosaic predominantly targets victims looking for cracked software – we advise users that they do not download and install applications from untrusted websites,” Bitdefender wrote in a blog post.

Cracked software downloads have soared over the past year as more people work from home. The most commonly pirated software includes Windows OS, Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite programs such as Photoshop, and Internet Download Manager.