Hackers Using Gullible Computer Owners as 'Malware Mules'

Security vendor Symantec said that to infect other computer users with viruses, the hackers are exploiting unwary Web users as 'malware mules', as per the news published by PC ADVISOR on April 20, 2010.

According to annual 'Internet Security Threat' report from Symantec, it costs merely 65p for cybercriminals to buy e-mail login information and passwords. Hackers then use these details to infiltrate into the e-mail accounts of gullible users and distribute virus-laden e-mails to the people in the address book of the victim.

In addition, the security purveyor also said that these compromised e-mail accounts can also give criminals access to sensitive personal details of the victims, like bank account details and passwords to various other online accounts, as per the news published by Which on April 20, 2010.

According to Symantec, spam e-mail recipients might potentially trust the credibility of a message from a known e-mail ID.

According to Con Mallon, security expert at Symantec, 'malware mules' are among the most disturbing trends keyed out in Symantec's Internet Security Threat report, as per the news published by PC ADVISOR on April 20, 2010.

Moreover, cyber goons are also switching to social media as a productive source to get personal data that enables them to set out targeted phishing attacks on executives and other main personnel of a company.

The security firm noted that hackers could potentially utilize the content in these saved e-mails to change the passwords, giving them full access to a user's personal e-mail account and certainly whole identities".

Mallon said that increase in the e-mail accounts' sales on the underground market is a disturbing trend.

Security analyst, while commenting on this issue, stated that just keeping a check on one's activities while working on the Internet is one of the several ways to avoid such an incident from taking place.

Apart from this, a number of e-mail accounts show the user the last login details and consumers are recommended to check this every time they log in so as to make sure that last time it was the account holder who logged in and not a hacker.

Related article: Hackers Redirect Windows Live Search to Malicious Sites

» SPAMfighter News - 4/30/2010