How to protect your Windows PC against advanced spying like APT35 and other threats

Catching a virus that slows down your computer is one thing, but being a victim of advanced espionage is quite another. This type of cyberattack It is primarily aimed at businesses, officials, academics, or journalists, but it can reach anyone.In this post, we'll talk about how to protect your Windows PC against advanced spying like APT35 and other threats.

What are APTs and why should you care?

To protect your Windows PC from advanced espionage, you first need to understand how these threats operate. We're not talking about just any virus, but highly sophisticated cyberattacks. They are known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), and are orchestrated by states or powerful criminal groups.

One of the most notorious APTs is APT35, also known as Charming kittens o Helix Kitten, originating from a group linked to Iran. They became notorious for their spear-phishing attacks targeting journalists, government officials, and companies in strategic sectors. What is their objective? It's not to steal your credit card; rather, They're after sensitive information: emails, confidential documents, credentials, and access to professional networks..

Unlike typical malware, APTs don't aim to cause immediate harm. Instead, They infiltrate stealthily, remain hidden, and extract valuable data over long periods.Its presence on professional networks is almost undetectable, and it generally requires cybersecurity experts to neutralize and eliminate it. Fortunately, at an individual level, there are effective measures to protect your Windows PC against advanced spying.

Strategies to protect your Windows PC against advanced spying

If you think you might be a victim of APTs, you should learn how to protect your Windows PC from advanced spying. Windows is by far the most widely used operating system in both professional and home environments. For this reason, it's also a prime target for cybercriminals, who look to exploit any vulnerability to infiltrate your system. Let's see what you can do to protect yourself. Increase the security level of your Windows computer.

Keep your system updated and protected

The first line of defense against advanced espionage like APT35 and other threats is keeping your system updated. Keep in mind that APTs They exploit vulnerabilities present in outdated systemsNot installing a security patch is like leaving a window open: you're inviting criminals in.

Your best tool for achieving this is called Windows Update. That's why, Configure updates to install automaticallyDon't postpone them unnecessarily, as they serve to patch critical vulnerabilities in the operating system itself. Also, make sure to Have the latest version of your web browser, office suite, extensions, and add-onsYou can use tools like My PC patch to automate this process.

Install a robust antivirus to protect your Windows PC against advanced spying

To protect your Windows PC against advanced spying, it is also essential to have a good antivirus installed. Signature-based antimalware is obsolete in the face of current threatsSo choose one that includes:

• Behavior-based protectionnot by known signatures. These antivirus programs detect threats by what they do (modifying critical processes, encrypting large files, etc.).
• Protection against exploits or vulnerabilitiesThey are capable of blocking attempts to exploit weaknesses even before they are patched.
• App controlThis allows you to define which programs can run on your computer. Solutions like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Windows Defender itself (which has improved significantly) incorporate these features.

Use strong passwords and 2FA authentication

Using strong passwords and 2FA authentication is vital to protecting your Windows PC from advanced spying. If an APT steals your credentials, it can access your email, social media, and other services without even infecting your PC. To prevent this, there are Two effective suggestions that you're right to follow:

• Use a password managerThese programs create and securely store long, unique, and complex passwords. BitwardenIt is free and open source, allowing you to create unlimited passwords for unlimited devices and services.
• Enable two-step authentication (2FA) everywhereAfter a strong password, this is the most effective single security measure. If you need help with this, read the article. This is how two-step authentication works, which you should activate now to improve your security..

Protect the weakest link: Your behavior

Your system might be well protected, but if an Advanced Persistent Threat manages to trick you, you could grant it access without even realizing it. As we mentioned, APT35's favorite technique is... spear-phishing, targeted phishing. These These are not generic emails, but messages so personalized and credible that they seem to come from friends, colleagues, or legitimate companies..

Therefore, if you handle sensitive data or information, Proactive distrust is your best companionIf you receive an email, check details such as the sender's full name and any attached links. Does the name exactly match the domain of the company it claims to represent? Do the links lead to sites directly related to the message's context? Do this with all messages you receive, especially those marked as urgent.

Anything else: Be careful with the websites you visit and those you use for downloads.Make sure any website where you enter personal data or credentials has https:// and a padlock icon in the address bar. And always, always download software or files from official websites; be wary of P2P networks. All these best practices help protect your Windows PC from advanced spying.

Additional measures to protect your Windows PC against advanced spying

Want to go further? Then apply these additional measures To protect your Windows PC against advanced spying:

• Do not use your Administrator account for browsing or working on a daily basis.Create a standard user account for your regular use.
• Use the 3-2-1 rule for your backups: Keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media (hard drive and cloud), and 1 of them outside your physical location.
• For high-risk activities, use a virtual machine such as VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Player. If this becomes infected, they can simply restore a previous snapshot, and your host system (your actual PC) will remain untouched.

Finally, keep in mind that This guide is intended for individual users and professionals looking to improve their security.For corporate or highly sensitive environments, it's best to consult with cybersecurity professionals. These robust enterprise solutions are the only and best alternative against advanced espionage threats like APT35 and others.