This Website Looks Normal—Until It Steals Your Data

by  Janeel Abrahams

A massive network of 30,000 websites is silently playing a dangerous game with unsuspecting visitors, thanks to a group of cybercriminals using your average DNS (domain name system) like a command center. While most visitors see nothing wrong, 9% are redirected to scam sites, and a sinister 1% get infected with malware—without a single red flag.So, why should you, as a business owner, care? Because it’s not just their websites being hijacked. Yours could be next.

Here’s What’s Really Going On

Cybersecurity researchers uncovered that hackers—led by a group known as Detour Dog—have turned thousands of seemingly normal websites into malware delivery machines. These sites don’t look malicious. They don’t act malicious. That’s the genius of it.

They use DNS trickery to hide their activities. Think of DNS as the internet’s phonebook—it helps users find websites. But these hackers have figured out how to weaponize it.

When someone visits a compromised website:

• The site secretly sends a DNS message with your device info and location.
• A hacker-controlled DNS server then decides: serve the real page, or redirect to a scam—or worse, install malware.
• The entire thing happens invisibly, in milliseconds.

This is why even the best antivirus software may never catch it. There’s no visible malware. The infection happens on the backend—where traditional security tools don’t look.

What’s the End Game?

This isn’t random. The malware in question, StrelaStealer, is engineered to steal email login credentials—think Outlook, Thunderbird, and similar platforms.

Once that access is gained:

• Emails can be monitored or faked.
• Sensitive company data can be exfiltrated.
• Full network breaches can occur.

They’ve already targeted companies in Spain and Germany, and health sector organizations in the U.S. are on the hit list. Your industry is not safe.

And It Gets Worse…

These hackers are experts in avoiding takedowns. Even when they’re reported to domain registrars or hosting companies, the abuse complaints are often ignored. In many cases, they switch servers within hours to keep the scam running.

Think you’re safe because you don’t get much traffic? Not so fast.

Your website could be part of the infected chain—used as a silent redirect mechanism. Or worse, your clients could end up victims just by visiting your site.

How Can You Protect Your Business?

Let’s break it down for busy business owners:

You don’t need to be technical to take action.
You do need to act now.

Here’s what you should do:

• Use advanced DNS filtering: This detects and blocks suspicious DNS activity before it hits your users or staff.
• Get your site checked for hidden redirects: Just because you don’t see malware doesn’t mean it’s clean.
• Secure your email logins with multi-factor authentication and proper password hygiene.
• Work with a cybersecurity partner who monitors backend activity—not just the surface.
  

Better Safe Than Sorry

Managed Nerds helps small businesses like yours stay a step ahead of silent threats. From DNS monitoring to malware detection and website audits, we ensure your digital assets aren’t being weaponized behind your back. If you’re not sure whether your site is safe—or if you’re worried your clients could be targeted through your domain—we can help.