Privacy, Security & Virus Information

Linked-in the Latest Target for Hackers

Web surfers, or at least those who are remotely interested, should now be aware that there are fairly serious security issues with popular social media sites Facebook and Twitter. However another myth has been shattered this week with the news that Linked-in has fallen victim to a particularly viscous spam attack. For those of you who are unaware Linked-in is a form of media platform for the big boys. It would be unfair to describe it as a social platform, more a place where individuals and especially small business can exchange online information about themselves, and the business or service that they are involved in, in order to keep track of those who could be interested in a simple exchange of information.

After some fairly spurious hacking attacks over the years that Linked-in has been around on the web, spammers, for reasons best known to themselves, decided that the time was right to launch a massive attack on the web site. They did so through a flaw discovered in Linked-In's method of adding new subscribers through invitations, with the innocent victims accepting an invitation to become a "friend" through the site. The hackers managed to create a mock-up invitation which, when clicked, automatically transported its victims to a third-party site, which sent out a message to wait for four seconds, during which it released a very virulent form of Malware on to the victim's computer.

The Malware is based on the notorious ZeuS data theft malware which when embedded on any of the leading internet browsers will worm its way rapidly through it, and capture any items of personal information that it can find for transfer and use by the cyber criminal fraternity.

Those complacent computer owners and operators who have yet to see the light, and realise how important it is to protect their computers against these attacks were once again caught short, among them many small businesses who had their bank accounts compromised as result of lack of understanding of virus protection.

Too many individuals, companies and even large organisations pay a high and unnecessary price because they fail to realise, or refuse to, that their personal details and/or their livelihood is at risk as a result. Virus attacks are increasing on a daily basis and are becoming more sophisticated and the costs involved in purchasing and installing a professional virus protection software system fade into insignificance when compared to the damage that a virus attack cab cost.

 

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