Half a million computers infected with 'malware' in just seven days
0 views
Skip to first unread message
Pastor Dale Morgan
May 9, 2008, 2:08:59 AM5/9/08
to Bible-Pro...@googlegroups.com
Perilous Times
Half a million computers infected with 'malware' in just seven days
* Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent
* The Guardian,
* Friday May 9 2008
Experts are warning internet users to be on their guard after more than half a million computers were infected with a single piece of malicious software.
In just seven days more than 530,000 instances of a single booby-trapped file have been spotted by analysts at internet security company McAfee, leading them to claim it is the biggest outbreak for several years.
The program works by posing as an ordinary media download, piggybacking on the draw of movies such as the recent St Trinian's film or pop acts such as Girls Aloud. Instead of finding the video or song they are expecting, however, victims are fooled into infecting their computers with a secret program which then bombards them with adverts.
Toralv Dirro, a security strategist at McAfee's Avert Labs, said it was the most successful piece of malicious code in three years - but that things could have been much worse. "We're lucky that this is relatively benign," he said. "We're worried that other people might use the same system to seed a more damaging piece of malware - it may be a precedent that is used by somebody else."
The technique, known as a Trojan horse, is common, but the latest variant appears to have been more successful than many of its counterparts. This could be because it was first planted on huge filesharing networks such as eDonkey and Limewire, which are used by millions of people to share music, movies and video files.
"It's pretty much impossible for us to find out where it was injected into the system, or track it back to find out who is benefiting," admitted Dirro. "At the moment we have no idea who is responsible, and this is data we cannot easily get."
Filesharing sites are a regular haunt for the writers of malicious software, but have also been used by some media companies to catch illegal downloaders in the act.
Last year a US company, MediaDefender, was discovered to be deliberately seeding popular networks with poor-quality videos and decoy music files in an attempt to reduce the popularity of peer-to-peer systems. But Dirro said that there was no indication the latest outbreak was the result of such action. "Most likely it is somebody involved in the advertiser's affiliate programme, and they make some small amount of money every time the software is installed," he said.
Related:
Warming!! Your Computer is Infected!!!
A Recent security survey of home and office computer's indicates that at least 80% of user's computers are infected with some sort of Spyware, viruses, Trojans, worms, malware, adware, tracking and spy programs.
These Programs will greatly affect the normal operation of your Computer and Software and leave you open to IDENTITY THEFT, HACKERS and CYBER-TERRORISTS.
Free tools to remove all these offending programs are available from: http://www.filehippo.com/
Please take the time to Download and install: "Spybot Search and Destroy" and "AVG Anti-Spyware"
Use both Programs for Maximum Protection - UPDATE regularly before using!
When using "Spybot Search and Destroy" make sure you "immunize" your computer against future threats. "Spybot Search and Destroy" is free non-commercial [Shareware]
These Basic Home/Personal Use Programs are FREE [Shareware] - make sure you UPDATE and run these programs often! Pro and Commercial versions are also available but you have to pay for them.
Please also make sure you have a FIREWALL installed Such as "ZONE ALARM" basic edition is also FREE as well as ANTI-VIRUS software such as AVAST or AVG ANTI-VIRUS also FREE to use and FREE to Update.
All These Free tools to remove all these offending programs are available from: http://www.filehippo.com/
This is a Public Service Announcement From:
The Good News Ministry and Missions Outreach
All The Good News Of Bible Prophecy
World News Net
Sincerely,
Pastor Dale Morgan
Half a million computers infected with 'malware' in just seven days
* Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent
* The Guardian,
* Friday May 9 2008
Experts are warning internet users to be on their guard after more than half a million computers were infected with a single piece of malicious software.
In just seven days more than 530,000 instances of a single booby-trapped file have been spotted by analysts at internet security company McAfee, leading them to claim it is the biggest outbreak for several years.
The program works by posing as an ordinary media download, piggybacking on the draw of movies such as the recent St Trinian's film or pop acts such as Girls Aloud. Instead of finding the video or song they are expecting, however, victims are fooled into infecting their computers with a secret program which then bombards them with adverts.
Toralv Dirro, a security strategist at McAfee's Avert Labs, said it was the most successful piece of malicious code in three years - but that things could have been much worse. "We're lucky that this is relatively benign," he said. "We're worried that other people might use the same system to seed a more damaging piece of malware - it may be a precedent that is used by somebody else."
The technique, known as a Trojan horse, is common, but the latest variant appears to have been more successful than many of its counterparts. This could be because it was first planted on huge filesharing networks such as eDonkey and Limewire, which are used by millions of people to share music, movies and video files.
"It's pretty much impossible for us to find out where it was injected into the system, or track it back to find out who is benefiting," admitted Dirro. "At the moment we have no idea who is responsible, and this is data we cannot easily get."
Filesharing sites are a regular haunt for the writers of malicious software, but have also been used by some media companies to catch illegal downloaders in the act.
Last year a US company, MediaDefender, was discovered to be deliberately seeding popular networks with poor-quality videos and decoy music files in an attempt to reduce the popularity of peer-to-peer systems. But Dirro said that there was no indication the latest outbreak was the result of such action. "Most likely it is somebody involved in the advertiser's affiliate programme, and they make some small amount of money every time the software is installed," he said.
Related:
Warming!! Your Computer is Infected!!!
A Recent security survey of home and office computer's indicates that at least 80% of user's computers are infected with some sort of Spyware, viruses, Trojans, worms, malware, adware, tracking and spy programs.
These Programs will greatly affect the normal operation of your Computer and Software and leave you open to IDENTITY THEFT, HACKERS and CYBER-TERRORISTS.
Free tools to remove all these offending programs are available from: http://www.filehippo.com/
Please take the time to Download and install: "Spybot Search and Destroy" and "AVG Anti-Spyware"
Use both Programs for Maximum Protection - UPDATE regularly before using!
When using "Spybot Search and Destroy" make sure you "immunize" your computer against future threats. "Spybot Search and Destroy" is free non-commercial [Shareware]
These Basic Home/Personal Use Programs are FREE [Shareware] - make sure you UPDATE and run these programs often! Pro and Commercial versions are also available but you have to pay for them.
Please also make sure you have a FIREWALL installed Such as "ZONE ALARM" basic edition is also FREE as well as ANTI-VIRUS software such as AVAST or AVG ANTI-VIRUS also FREE to use and FREE to Update.
All These Free tools to remove all these offending programs are available from: http://www.filehippo.com/
This is a Public Service Announcement From:
The Good News Ministry and Missions Outreach
All The Good News Of Bible Prophecy
World News Net
Sincerely,
Pastor Dale Morgan
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages