The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have lately cautioned against a novel Trojan infecting PCs through fake Adobe software products.

Recently, the Australian Federal Police has cautioned against purchasing cheap counterfeit computing products after confiscating pirated version of software goods comprising a Trojan virus. The police conducted a raid on a South Australian home on May 02, 2011, where police confiscated over 200 copies of supposedly pirated software, as reported by SC MAGAZINE on May 02, 2011.

According to the Police, the pirate Adobe software included a Trojan competent of compromising private and confidential information.

A 40-year old woman has been accused of selling counterfeit Adobe products after the AFP raided her motor vehicles and her Victorian home, confiscating a CD burner and above 200 fake products. Besides, the AFP confiscated a CD burner and over 200 fake software products.

The AFP further stated that, Trojan buried within the fake gear is proficient of gathering private and confidential information and hence exploiting the victims to identity crime, as reported by ZDNet on May 02, 2011.

Commenting on the matter, Peter Sykora, AFP commander of crime operations, stated that, a study of the Intellectual Property crime anticipated that, one in 5 Australian households had intentionally bought pirated version of computer and related products. He further added that, this incidence highlighted that, the money people save by buying an inexpensive, fake product might come at a higher cost to their privacy, as reported by ARN on May 02, 2011.

He stated that, thefts related to identity could provide their confidential and financial information to the cybercriminals.

This case was not the single one, wherein the name of Adobe software has been exploited for circulating malware. In the past as well (January 2011), the BKIS agency had recognized a novel Trojan that impersonates the Adobe Reader updates.

The malware, which BKIS had named as W32.Fakeupver.trojan, is designed in Visual Basic and utilizes the technique to scam even knowledgeable users. Malicious trojans that install file names related or same as well known components to conceal their procedure and startup routines are not new in the cyber world.

Nonetheless, as per the security experts, Adobe is not the sole company whose products are targeted by the cybercrooks; many other companies are targeted as well.

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» SPAMfighter News - 5/9/2011