Explore the latest news and trends  

Sign up for our weekly security newsletter


Be the first to receive important updates on security





Send

Hackers Targeting Online Gamers for Stealing Virtual Money

Microsoft said that it had cleaned almost 1 Million (more than 981,000) samples of a virulent worm during the first half of February 2009. The virus is known as Win32/Taterf and popular in the cyber world for stealing usernames and passwords for games like World of Warcraft, Legend of Mir and Gamania.

Taterf has been frequently spreading on computers for last few months. Earlier, Microsoft cleaned around 700,000 samples of it in just one day last year (2008). This worm is a mutated version of another password stealer called Win32/Frethog.

Security experts have revealed that Win32/Taterf makes the system tremendously slow. Due to its infection, PC takes longer than usual to reboot and Internet connection is dramatically slow. It can also modify the Internet settings to redirect users to some other website. Also, it can leave pop-up advertisements even when offline. Through these pop-up ads, users are lured to install spyware.

Microsoft says that in the month of February 2009, it removed around 317,000 samples of Frethog.

Microsoft also adds that China had always occupied the top position for passwords stealing infections, but now that notion is changing. During the 1st week of February 2009, the leading three countries spreading the worm, as per the number of Taterf infections, were US (1st rank), Taiwan (2nd rank) and Korea (3rd rank).

In the meantime, Microsoft discloses another botnet detection by MSRT in 2009 called Srizbi. As of February 16, 2009, Microsoft had cleared almost 38,697 Srizbi infections.

Security experts reveal that online passwords are famous target of hackers as they can be turned into cash usually in undiscovered manners. The rising popularity of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) has given birth to the online economy wherein players auction virtual 'gold' and in-game tools for some hard cash.

Inevitably, it has resulted in the emergence of a new series of threat-worms and trojans which steal gaming passwords in place of hackers. After acquiring these passwords, hackers put the virtual money of gamers on online auction.

Interestingly, the games' makers usually discourage like commerce and punish players who are involved in it.

Related article: Hackers Redirect Windows Live Search to Malicious Sites

» SPAMfighter News - 3/5/2009

3 simple steps to update drivers on your Windows PCSlow PC? Optimize your Slow PC with SLOW-PCfighter!Email Cluttered with Spam? Free Spam Filter!

Dear Reader

We are happy to see you are reading our IT Security News.

We do believe, that the foundation for a good work environment starts with fast, secure and high performing computers. If you agree, then you should take a look at our Business Solutions to Spam Filter & Antivirus for even the latest version of Exchange Servers - your colleagues will appreciate it!

Go back to previous page
Next