Experts at SophosLabs, Sophos`s global network of virus and spam analysis centres, are warning computer users that they need to be on their guard against keyboard-logging Trojan horses, as news reports reveal that police have foiled an attempt to steal lb220 million from the London offices of a Japanese bank.
"Sophos warns that it is not just large banking corporations that can suffer from hacking and software which captures keystrokes. Small businesses and home users are vulnerable to Trojan horses and worms which lurk in the background, spying on everything that occurs on the computer - including secretly capturing every key press and sending them to criminal hacking gangs," says Brett Myroff, CEO of Sophos distributor, NetXactics.
"Over the last year, we have seen a dramatic rise in the number of new viruses, worms and Trojan horses designed to steal the keystrokes of innocent computer users. Sophos`s labs produce protection against approximately 15 new pieces of malware which include this sinister payload every day, compared to five a day a year ago," says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.
"The information stolen by this kind of attack can be equivalent to someone watching over your shoulder as you type your password into the computer. Hacking gangs are actively hunting for vulnerable computers in order to steal information and empty bank accounts."
According to media reports (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4356661.stm), a hi-tech gang gained access to the bank`s computer systems. It has not been revealed how they did this, nor - despite speculation in the press - confirmed if they used a keyboard-logging Trojan horse to spy on desktop computers at the bank, capturing key presses. The gang is said to have planned to transfer money electronically to 10 bank accounts around the world. Police in Israel are said to have arrested a man whose account had been the intended recipient of some of the money, but it appears the robbery failed and the bank suffered no financial losses as a result of the hacking.
The British banking industry has published information about how online bank customers can take steps to stay safe online at www.banksafeonline.org.uk.
"More and more malware is being written by criminals, designed to steal bank account information from innocent computer users," continues Cluley. "All Internet users need to ensure their computers are protected with up-to-date security software, and make sure they are not putting themselves in jeopardy."
Sophos recommends that companies protect their e-mail with a consolidated solution to thwart the virus and spam threats as well as secure their desktop and servers with automatically updated anti-virus protection. Additionally, computer users should ensure they are defended by personal firewalls and the latest Microsoft security patches.
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NetXactics is a South African-based company, focused on the provision of security solutions. It is the sole distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa for UK-based Sophos, one of the leaders in the provision of anti-virus and anti-spam software for the corporate environment. For more information, visit NetXactics at www.netxactics.co.za.
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