Nothing seems to change in the world of cybercrime, and as we drive deeper into 2010 it just gets worse. This week’s coverage includes: * Attackers exploit iPad launch * Facebook a new phishing scam? * Operation Aurora * Hackers target friends of Google workers * Phishing email warns you owe $293.11 in debt * Phishing PayPal posers * BBB Lists Top 10 Scams * 6 ways crooks can get you online * Adobe PDF Reader Phishing… and more
Attackers exploit fanfare surrounding iPad launch
The flurry of excitement on the Internet surrounding the launch of Apple’s iPad has opened the door for cybercriminals to target those hungry for more information on the company’s new product.
As soon as the announcement was made, security software vendor Symantec said it observed that related search terms had become targets for Blackhat SEO (search engine optimisation) attacks and phishing attacks.
continue reading :: star-techcentral.com
Facebook unnamed app – a new phishing scam?
Facebook users may want to beware when signing in and using the popular social media site. There appears to be a phishing scam of sorts going around the site.
The Facebook unnamed app posts notifications that one of your Facebook friends has published a comment to your wall, photo or elsewhere. Upon clicking on the notification, you are asked to add a new app to your page.
continue reading :: www.gather.com
Was Operation Aurora really just a conventional attack?
Operation Aurora, the moniker given to the attacks on Google and several others, has developed into a security nightmare and political chess game. With so many questions left unanswered, there is still no clear proof that Aurora was a government attack.
The Tech Herald, working alongside private security analyst Michael Felch, dove into the public information surrounding Aurora, looking for something other than code samples and domain names as proof that China’s government attacked U.S. businesses.
continue reading :: Steve Ragan – The Tech Herald
Hackers target friends of Google workers
Personal friends of employees at Google, Adobe and other companies were targeted by hackers in a string of recently disclosed cyberattacks, raising privacy concerns and pointing to a highly sophisticated operation, security experts said.
Cybersecurity experts analysing the attacks said the hackers spied on individuals and used other sophisticated techniques, making them extremely difficult to stop. The disclosures come amid renewed alarm over cybersecurity after Google said it had been the target of a series of cyberattacks from China.
continue reading :: Joseph Menn for Financial Times
Phishing email warns you owe $293.11 in debt
If you receive an email purporting to be from the debt collection agency IAC Recovery Systems stating you owe a sum of $293.11 to an unnamed creditor, do not respond.
The email contains a link to pay the debt with a credit card, another creative effort to extract you personal or financial information to thieves.
continue reading :: Examiner.com
Phishing e-mails from PayPal posers
If you receive an e-mail from “PayPal” and addressed to “Dear Member” with an attachment titled, “Personal Authorization Document,” DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT and immediately delete the email.
This email has been circulating email inboxes and is sent from the inauthentic email address, “info@Paaypal.com.” If you want to take one extra step, forward the email to spoof@paypal.com and your email will be sent to the official PayPal investigation team, which will look into the scam. The team is usually able to shut down fraudulent sites within two hours of the report.
* continue reading :: Chicago Tribune
Personal information is a hot target for malware creators
According to malware data collected by Trend Micro researchers from October to December 2009, the patterns and vectors of malware threats have changed in a sense that instant financial gains seem no longer the primary target of cybercriminals.
The major strategy of these criminals seems to be unraveling and detecting personal information and networking contacts to develop targeted social engineering schemes.
continue reading :: InformationWeek News
BBB Lists Top 10 Scams
The Better Business Bureau has released a list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs of 2009.
The marketing campaigns often falsely claimed an endorsement by Oprah, Rachel Ray and Doctor Oz. Thousands of consumers complained to BBB that the free trial actually cost them as much as hundreds of dollars, month after month.
continue reading :: ABC NEWS
Look out for these 6 ways crooks can get you online
Criminals are getting smarter and smarter. So, these days, it isn’t enough to just run security software on your computer. You need to keep up with the criminals’ latest tricks. Here are six threats to your security and tips for protecting yourself.
* Flash drives * Facebook ‘friends’ * Clickjacking * Smart phone apps * Porn dialer Trojans among others.
continue reading :: Kim Komando – Cyberspeak — www.usatoday.com
Phishing scam targets users of Adobe PDF Reader
A new phishing scam is trying to fool people into thinking it comes from Adobe, announcing a new version of PDF Reader/Writer. The message is making its way into e-mail boxes today, and the real Adobe urged any recipients to simply delete it.
The phishing scam has a subject line “download and upgrade Adobe PDF Reader – Writer for Windows — The real Adobe Reader download page is on the Adobe Web site at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.
continue reading :: Ellen Messmer, Network World
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Cool blog. These reports are so important —
I pass them along when ever I see them — you should get a weekly posting going and keep everyone more up to date. It’s a dangerous world we live in!!!
Thanks again