Want to see exclusive videos and photos of Michael Jackson? Then go to your inbox and you'll definitely find some of them there. All you need to do is simply click on the provided link or download an attachment. Quite easy, isn't it... except for the fact that all this is just a part of a hackers' attack aimed at spreading malware. This time, malware by the name of BKDR_IRCBOT.BW is being dropped by another malware called HTML_DLOADR.ARM.
In the wake of the internet’s biggest day since the September 11th attacks, purveyors of spam and malware have been having a field day with copious morbid web searches driving traffic to their sites.
Searches surrounding the circumstances of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett’s deaths coupled with stirrings of curiousity surrounding recent celebrity deaths have given spammers and malware pushers a new in as news-hungry web surfers click on every link promising “shocking videos” and “exclusive photos.”
To the average IT security practitioner, the idea of disabling antivirus on new machines might seem blasphemous. After all, weren't we all told in IT Security 101 that everyone needs AV to keep the malware and data thieves at bay?
Perhaps, but for some who moved beyond IT Security 101 eons ago, AV is more than simply obsolete. It's an obstacle to a more perfect defense. And so they've chosen to disable it.
Do you think you're smart enough to not fall into cyber criminals' traps? I bet there have been times when you clicked, or were about to click, on an unknown links or attachments because hackers are becoming more and more creative and professional in their malicious schemes. Recently security researchers have been increasingly warning potential victims of malware campaigns that spread out as fake security updates or antivirus solutions. This time I'd like to draw your attention to FakeScan A, it is being dropped by a fake Conficker removal tool.
Popular social networking and micro-blogging websites have always attracted not only you and me, but also a whole bunch of cyber criminals aiming to spread their malicious activities on a mass scale. Two weeks ago everybody was concerned about massive attacks on Twitter - a huge micro-blogging site - trying to steal user's credentials and infect user's system with rogueware. It seems that these types of attacks have proven to profitable as hackers have now started a new wave of malicious attacks on Twitter... This time with the aim to spread the mass-mailing W32.Ackantta.B@mm worm.
A HOTEL bar in Arlington, Virginia, 23 October 2008. A group of computer security experts has spent the day holed up with law enforcement agencies. It is an annual event that attracts the best in the business, but one the participants like to keep low-key - and under the radar of the cybercriminals they are discussing.
You might think installing a good antivirus program and firewall on a Windows PC means no more worry. Your PC is now supposed to be immunized against catching a computer virus. But, unfortunately, there are an increasing number of Internet nuisances out there that can bypass those defenses. Spyware applications and spyware tracking cookies often skip right past the "behind the curve" antivirus program you inherit from the computer dealer when you buy a new Windows PC.
Two new pieces of malware for Apple computers have been found in the wild according to security firm Sophos.
The first, Tored-Fam, is a worm that spreads via email attachments and is simply a variant on the well known Tored family of malware that has been in circulation since last year. The worm collects email addresses and attempts to forward itself on.
Cash machines around the world are hosting malware that can harvest a person's card details for use in fraud, a situation that could worsen as the malware becomes more sophisticated, according to a security researcher.
Without a doubt, the terrifying catastrophe of Air France Flight 447 has been among the top news headlines throughout the world. And even though the tragedy has not yet been resolved and many questions are left unanswered, cyber criminals are successfully using this issue in their malicious schemes. This time they are exploiting users' curiosity to find more information about the tragedy on search engines. Watch out because cyber criminals will use this opportunity to drop TROJ_YEKTEL.AA onto your PC then an installation prompt will be displayed for the fake Personal Antivirus.
