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Threat Update
Cute (and malicious)
from SunbeltBlog | Monday, March 08, 2010
There’s an angelically tinged infection doing the rounds at the moment that has more than a whiff of sulphur about it.
We can’t say for definite, but it looks like the point of this little angel is to turn your PC into a file storage area for an IRC channel since it dumps you into #music IRC channels and makes sure you can accept various media files.
Our tale begins with an Email, claiming you have a “funny picture from Facebook friends” waiting for you at Oast(dot)com:
Tax season bringing out the fraud artists
from The Seattle Times | Monday, March 08, 2010
How do you know that the sender of an e-mail that has landed in your inbox is trying to steal your money or your identity? The message comes right out and asks for it.
Tax season means computer criminals are going to be out in force, pumping out bogus e-mails that purport to be from the Internal Revenue Service. These messages ask you to supply personal information in all kinds of scams. Often the scam e-mails offer help speeding up the preparation of tax returns or securing a big refund.
The e-mails also might just be a cover for criminals to install malicious software on your computers, by tricking you into opening attachments or visiting poisoned Web sites.
Net hit by Ransomware attack first seen in 2008
from PC Advisor | Monday, March 08, 2010
Cybercriminals have once again hit the web with a ransomware campaign that was first used in 2008, says Fortinet.
According to the security firm, in the space of only two days, 8 and 9 February, the HTML/Goldun.AXT campaign accounted for more than half the total malware detected for February, which gives some indication of its unusual scale.
Hacks and Website Attacks
Software helps hackers empty corporate accounts
from FT.com | Monday, March 08, 2010
A new wave of sophisticated computer attacks is draining the bank accounts of small and medium-sized businesses, with the latest version of the most widely distributed criminal tool expected to worsen the losses, according to researchers and regulators.
Hackers Distribute Scareware by Exploiting ‘Dawn Brancheau’ Death
from SPAMfighter | Monday, March 08, 2010
Sophos, the IT control and Security Company, has cautioned that hackers are cashing in on the widespread online search for images and videos of the passed away ‘Dawn Brancheau.’ Brancheau was known for his art of training sea animals. Brancheau was killed when a whale attacked him, as reported by SOPHOS on February 25, 2010.
Following the death of Dawn Brancheau on February 24, 2010, Ghoulish Web-surfers have been searching for videos and photographs of the incident, which occurred at a public event in Sea World, Orlando (USA). With the help of Search Engine Optimization tactics, cyber criminals have set up malicious web-pages containing content that appear video recordings of the death of the animal trainer. The pages in reality infect PCs visiting them.
Phishing Scams
Hijacked Brands Grew in 2009 Phishing Attacks
from ThreatPost by Donald Sears | Monday, March 08, 2010
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) released its Q4, 2009 Phishing Activity Trends Report, which reveals that eCrime syndicates are expanding the base of brands they exploit for online fraud far beyond major financial institutions and online merchants, with the number of hijacked brands reaching a record 356 in October, up nearly 4.4 percent from the previous record of 341 in August 2009.
