We wish we could bring you good news, but it just isn’t happening. Here’s our latest cybercrime update: Cybercriminals exploit Haiti tragedy * 95% content is malware, spam * Hackers steal $4 million in carbon credits * Botnet attack * Scammers Move to Target Social Media Networks * Phishing Campaign Targeting Attorneys * Go online and know your enemies * IRS phishing scam targets corporate email * Phishing site spoofing secure login page … and more!
IRS phishing scam targets corporate email
eSoft CTO Patrick Walsh sent up a warning flare regarding tax time phishing attempts claiming to be from the IRS, as noted in his Infosecurity blog post today.
The emails are a variation of the usual IRS phishing expeditions that typically target end users during tax time, but this campaign aims to infect organizational machines through corporate rather than personal email.
continue reading :: IRS phishing scam at www.infosecurity-us.com –
Phishing Campaign Targeting Attorneys
Fake requests for legal services once again on the uptick
Old is new again for scammers as spam emails targeting attorneys are once again on the rise. Email security experts at Red Condor have issued a warning for trending phishing attacks requesting legal representation to help in the “collection of delinquent accounts.” continue reading :: Phishing Campaign at www.prlog.org
Go online and know your enemies
Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to cyber threats, writes Julia Talevski.
Cyber criminals accrue more than $US100 billion ($115 billion) a year, it was revealed at an Australian High Tech Crime Conference. Bank account details and identities on social networking sites are fair game and hackers will use any means necessary to obtain them. This includes exploiting everything from the latest trendy topic on the internet to the latest disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti. Learning about the kinds of threats is the first step towards ensuring your data stays safe. continue reading :: Julia Talevski for www.brisbanetimes.com
95% content is malware, spam
The latest research from Websense Security Labs paints a dreary but familiar picture of the state of online security threats. Echoing the bad news of other such recent reports, it seems the vast majority of the Web consists of malware and spam. Worse yet, even legitimate, well-known sites are being used to pump malware, SEO poisoning, or phishing attacks.
Websense uses a global network of systems to scan and analyze over 40 billion websites every hour, tracking malware and other unwanted content. The results for the latter half of 2009 show a 225 percent increase in malicious websites. Crossfire_CIP report.pdf (PDF) continue reading :: Chris Foresman at arstechnica.com
Phishing site spoofing secure login page
A phishing site masquerading as the secure login page of CenturyLink, the fourth largest local exchange telephone carrier in the US in terms of access lines, has been discovered by TrendLabs:
If you fail to notice these things, and you enter your login credentials, they will be sent to the criminals who put this page online and they will use them to perpetrate some form of cyber identity fraud with you as the victim. continue reading :: at www.net-security.org
Hackers steal $4 million in carbon credits
Well of course, you can thank Al Gore for this ruse — but the hackers seem to enjoy idiots who will exchange money for the worthless emissions credits — $4 million of which were stolen by hackers. If it wasn’t so serious, it would be funny!
Cyber thieves used a classic phishing scheme to gain access to $4 million in carbon emissions credits, sending out e-mails to businesses asking them to log in to a fraudulent Website posing as the German Emissions Trading Authority continue reading :: technology at www.mnn.com
Cybercriminals exploit Haiti tragedy
We knew cyber crooks are pretty slimy, but stooping to exploit any tragedy that comes along should doom them to fry in h__l…
There was no let up in spamming and phishing activities last month even as the entire world watched with sympathy the tragedy in Haiti. To add to the sorrow behind the devastating earthquake on 12 January, cyber criminals took advantage of the tragedy to launch spamming and phishing attacks. continue reading :: Veronica C. Silva
Jai Vijayan interview: Cyber Security
Cyber security is steadily becoming a growing cause for concern in our personal lives, professional organizations, and civil infrastructure. Congress, the Senate, and the Obama Administration all have recently tabled legislation pertaining to cyber security; however, there is much more work that needs to be done.
Vijayan’s comparable opinions are echoed in his recent interview with JustAskGemalto. continue reading :: JustAskGemalto
It’s Phishing Season; Beware These Scams
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t get at least one phishing email in my multiple email inboxes. I’m sure that my ISP has a filter, and my junk mail folders are always bulging, but somehow the phishers are still trickling in. Most of these bogus emails are easy to spot, but others are trickier. I read the subject line, and 99 percent of the time I don’t have to go any further before I hit the delete key.
Spring is the season for the phishers to come and try to take advantage of to the unsuspecting public in the form of official-looking emails talking of tax refunds, as well as claims that the government has money waiting for them. Would your customers (or employees) fall for such a blatant ploy? At least one in three would, according to one recent test. continue reading :: Linda McGlasson at blogs.govinfosecurity.com
Botnet attack
More than 70,000 computers from 2,500 companies have been infected with the Kneber botnet, an Internet watchdog
NetWitness Corp. of Virginia said the attack is used to reap user names and passwords to gain access to financial information, social networking Internet sites and e-mail. The rogue software has been circulating for about 18 months and is known to have gathered about 75 gigabytes of data. continue reading :: United Press International – Daily Briefing
Scammers Move to Target Social Media Networks
Scammers who attempt to lure online users to volunteer their personal credentials for free pornography are now targeting social networks.
According to Symantec, the latest Monthly security report suggests that 92 per cent of adult phishing scams that were recorded during January took place on social networking sites such as Facebook & Bebo. Once the details have been taken, users have been redirected not to the smut they desired, but sites punting scareware scams. continue reading :: at www.seoconsult.co.uk
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