Cyber Attack Hit Realestate.com.au’s Subscribers Database

Realestate.com.au, a popular real estate website, has confirmed that some one illegally accessed its subscriber database. The website declared that a third party used its mailing. The naïve people were asked by this third party for capital in order to fix up property inspections via e-mails.

Rather than employing the agent verification tool on the website, the fake e-mail directed users to directly reply to a Gmail address. The company added that using the 'eBrouchure' utility of the attacked website, a fraction of its subscriber database also received some fake listings.

Though the website declared that it was attacked in the last week of March 2010, the number of people who had fallen prey to the scam was unknown. However, the company failed to say how it was compromised or the number of users on its mailing list.

Peter Wright, sales and operations general manager of Realestate.com.au said that the company alarmed its subscriber database in the last week of March 2010 to be on the look out of any unsolicited eBrochures, received by them, as per the news published by Smart Company on April 1, 2010. He added that the company also asked consumers to simply avoid or delete the fake e-mail.

In the warning issued to the subscribers, Wright said that 'eBrouchure' was a scam. However, it has not affected any other list, and so users shall not hesitate from opening up the e-mails with the company as the sender.

Meanwhile, experts commented that this incident must be considered as a lesson by the business. As stated by Trend Micro's technical support manager, Anthony Edwards, businesses shall regularly test their websites against Internet threats and frequently contact their Web developers to ensure that the business is immune to external threats, as per the news published by Smart Company on April 1, 2010.

He added that numerous attacks made on websites which are accessed publicly look for this kind of data. Hence, the businesses ought to ascertain good Website programming activities. Secure coding on the site for Web application is very essential.

Notably, the manager said that this matter was being seriously handled and was under investigation by the Victoria Police, according to the news published by BNET INDUSTRIES on March 31, 2010.

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» SPAMfighter News - 4/10/2010