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Hey, we’re glad you’re here.

We’re Amante and Emma 👋

One of us is a cybersecurity expert with years of programming experience under their belt, who acts as a high-profile tech consultant.

The other is a writer who still uses a landline.

Together, we created ‘DontGetPwnd’ to make tech safety inclusive and digestible for all. Because internet know-how doesn’t just belong to the tech bros.

We're kicking off our first issue with some News You Can Use...

News You Can Use: How Cyber Gangs are Infiltrating Minecraft👾

Recently, our favourite childhood video game became the target of malware.

Over 200 million of us play Minecraft each month, downloading code from the GitHub website to modify our gameplay with new features^[1].

For some unlucky players, the code they used wasn’t a new collectible but malware built to steal their bank details, addresses, emails, and other seriously sensitive information.

Not such a child-friendly game, then.

The hacker specifically targeted players who disabled their system’s security features to install modifications^[1]. The malware successfully mimicked popular modifications you can download. So instead of AppleSkin, it was a virus.

The attacker may have originated from Russia based on their timezone activity (UTC+3). Some of the malware was also said to have contained Russian^[2].

With around 65% of players under 21, child gamers were an easy target. But the bigger target? Tech savvy young adults^[3].

The situation hasn't yet been resolved^[4], so if you're still downloading Minecraft mods make sure you:

• look up the mod beforehand to see if others have used it
• check the activity of the Github repository, an active repository can be a sign the mod is safe to use
• understand the permissions it's asking for upon download. Do you know why it's asking for specific access? If not, avoid!

Stay safe. Build cool stuff. And keep those hackers away from your mansion. ⛏️

Extra Reading 🔎

• ^[1] LBC - Minecraft Players Targeted by Criminals Posing as Coders in ‘Malicious’ Attack
• ^[2] Check Point - Minecraft Players Targeted in Sophisticated Malware Campaign
• ^[3] Sky News - Minecraft Users Targeted by Criminals Posing as Game Coders
• ^[4] Bleeping Computer - 'Stargazers' Use Fake Minecraft Mods to Steal Player Passwords

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