Rising threats from cyber criminals

Criminal hackers never sleep, it seems. Just when you think you've battened down the hatches and fully protected yourself or your business from electronic security risks, along comes a new exploit to keep you up at night. It might be an SMS text message with a malevolent payload, or a stalker who dogs your every step online.

Whether you're an IT manager protecting employees and corporate systems, or you're simply trying to keep your own personal data safe, these threats - some rapidly growing, others still emerging - pose a potential risk. Fortunately, there are some security tools available to help you win the fight against the bad guys.

“Kaspersky products deliver premium protection from viruses, Trojans, spam, hackers, and more. Their cutting-edge, hybrid approach to digital security combines innovative, cloud-based technologies with advanced anti-virus protection to deliver a faster, more effective response to today's complex, ever-evolving threats. You, your private data and PC are completely protected as you work, bank, shop and play online,” says Simon Campbell-Young, CEO of specialist distributor Phoenix Software.

While smartphone viruses are still fairly rare, text-messaging attacks are becoming more common; PCs are now fairly well protected, so some black-hat hackers have moved on to mobile devices. Their incentive is mostly financial; text messaging provides a way for them to break in and make money.

Text-message attacks aimed at smartphone operating systems are becoming more common as people rely more on mobile devices. “It's not just consumers who are at risk from these attacks,” he adds. “Any employee who falls for a text-message ruse using a company smartphone can jeopardise the business' network and data, and perhaps cause a compliance violation.”

This is a similar type of attack as is used on a computer - an SMS or MMS message that includes an attachment, disguised as a funny or sexy picture, which asks the user to open it. Once they download the picture, it will install malware on the device. Once loaded, it can acquire access privileges, and it spreads through contacts on the phone, who would then get a message from that user.

In this way, hackers create botnets for sending text-message spam with links to a product the hacker is selling, usually charging you per message. In some cases, the malware even starts buying ringtones that are charged on your bill, lining the pocketbook of the hacker selling the ringtones.

Another ruse, says Campbell-Young, is a text-message link to download an app that supposedly allows free Internet access, but is actually a Trojan that sends hundreds of thousands of SMS messages from the phone. To keep such malware off users' phones, he recommends that businesses institute effective mobile security software.

“The theft protection feature allows users to locate their lost or stolen device via cutting-edge GPS technology. They can also remotely create and display messages onscreen, lock their device, protect their passwords, wipe content, and manage applications. In addition, they will receive real-time protection against malicious content and spam sent by SMS by having them blocked at the source. They can also block senders manually to avoid unwanted texts,” Campbell-Young adds.

Another rising threat is social network account spoofing. Millions of people use Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks to connect with friends, family and colleagues - which leaves them vulnerable to this new technique. The idea is that a scammer poses as either someone you know or a friend of a friend to get close to you and fool you into revealing personal information. He then uses that information to gain access to your other accounts, and eventually steals your identity.

“Conning you out of your personal information is an age-old trick. Today's social networks just provide a new avenue for con artists and criminals to get close to you. The trick works because there is often no way to know whether someone you've come to trust online is actually who he says he is,” he says. “What's more, social network attacks are sometimes combined with e-mail and Web site spoofing. You might develop a friendship on LinkedIn, and then get an e-mail from that person that looks like it was sent via LinkedIn, but is actually a fake. When you click the link to reply to the message, you're taken to a fake LinkedIn site; logging in there reveals your LinkedIn username and password to the spoofer.”

As with text-message attacks, individuals' best defence against spoofing attacks is to use common sense and good security software. “Social networks like Twitter and Facebook have changed the way we communicate in our personal and work lives, many would say for the better. Yet, these useful portals also provide conduits that others can use to make our lives miserable. Rather be safe than sorry and make sure you're protected at all times,” Campbell-Young concludes.