NITDA Alerts Nigerians on Cybersecurity Risks Linked to Spotify

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has issued a public alert warning Nigerians about a cybersecurity threat involving the use of Spotify to promote malicious activities.

The agency, in a public notice issued on Tuesday, disclosed that threat actors are exploiting the popular music streaming platform to advertise game hacks, pirated software, and spam links that could expose users to cyber threats.

According to NITDA, cybercriminals embed malicious promotions in playlist names and podcast descriptions on Spotify, explaining that these promotions are used to advertise game hacks for popular video games such as Fortnite, GTA, Apex, and Roblox. Additionally.

They also promote pirated software (commonly referred to as ‘cracks’), spam links, and other malicious sites.

This abuse is said to leverage Spotify’s web player results to improve the search engine visibility of these harmful websites, putting unsuspecting users at risk of malware, scams, and other cyber threats.

NITDA warned that the exploitation of Spotify could lead to exposure to scams and phishing attacks, downloading of malware that can compromise user devices and Loss of personal and financial data through interactions with malicious websites.

To manage the risks, NITDA advised users to exercise Caution with suspicious playlists and podcasts and avoid engaging with playlists or podcasts that feature unusual or suspicious text in their descriptions.

It also warned users not to click Unknown Links, and also ensure the Spotify app is updated to the latest version to minimise vulnerabilities.

The agency further advised Spotify users in Nigeria to remain vigilant and adhere to cybersecurity best practices to safeguard their personal information and devices.

According to the agency, the websites posing as OpenAI’s popular AI, ChatGPT, are tricking users into downloading malicious files or software to their devices.