Echoing America`s Cyber Monday (the Monday following Black Friday), this past Monday set new records for local online shopping, says Brett Myroff, CEO of master Sophos distributor, Netxactics.
However, this introduces added risk for organisations whose employees are getting their Christmas shopping done during working hours, says Myroff.
While consumers are at risk, they may also unknowingly expose their companies` network to an attack.
A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com indicates that nearly one out of every three employees will shop online during work hours. "This high volume presents the opportunity for cyber criminals to gain access to company networks through an employee`s work computer," says Myroff.
Yuletide worms
On this week`s list of low to medium prevalence threats, the W32/SillyFDC-BL worm is cause for concern. Also occurring as W32/Autorun.worm.f, it installs itself in the registry.
When first run, W32/SillyFDC-BL copies itself to the root of each drive and the Windows system folder, and creates the file <Root>autorun.inf in order to spread. This file is detected as Mal/AutoInf-A.
The Troj/Dload-AB Trojan is affecting Windows users, and its main line of attack is to download code from the Internet. The Troj/Zlob-AGJ and Troj/Psyme-FX Trojans have also been noted.
W32/Voterai-A, a worm affecting the Windows operating system, is also spreading via removable storage devices and network shares.
Its aliases include Trojan.Win32.Bakaki.a and W32/Voterai.worm.e, and it attempts to install itself in the registry and also spreads to other network computers.
"Cybercriminals are becoming craftier and smarter in the ways they exploit consumers. While there are always the usual run of malware, consumers and business users alike should be more prepared and aware of the risks as we enter the holiday season, with added vulnerabilities that can be easily exploited.
"Having the right line of defence in place and knowing what signs to look out for will help online shoppers, in particular, to avoid potential credit card fraud and identity theft," Myroff concludes.
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