Experts Advise Users to Avoid Harry Potter Links

Experts around the world are warning users to be wary of links that lead to websites supposedly revealing the climax of the book 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. These websites could actually download dangerous virus on the PC ending in a catastrophic outbreak.

Although the book was due for release on July 21 this year, but the highly curious fans are too eager to read it as early as possible. Such temptations may well take them to a malicious USB drive that is said to harboring the manuscript.

On the other hand, repeated warnings come from experts urging users not to click any link that asserts to reveal the final part of the Harry Potter novel. According to them, the links are malicious, capable of infecting computers with harmful viruses.

PandaLabs detected one Trojan called Narrinex.A that enters PCs pretending to be a trailer for a Harry Potter movie coming shortly. But on running the file, the user encounters the Trojan instead of finding the movie. While the Trojan starts infecting, it tries to douse suspicion by displaying a correction message saying that due to the absence of a certain code, it was not possible to show the video. The message then recommends the user to watch the movie on the official website.

For years, the most indispensable part of malware has been social engineering, according to Tom Newton, product manager at SmoothWall, a firewall software company. Itpro.co.uk published this on July 20, 2007. He says it is simpler to abuse the vulnerabilities in the software than the software itself, for the flaws appear obvious.

Newton said that whenever a significant event occurs, like one surrounding a celebrity or a natural calamity, there are stories offering the news, the inner contents, the bare pictures that actually victimize people with malware. He said that malware authors know that the general public is always eager for spicy information and they would just be a click away from causing infection to their PCs.

Morse's security consultant, Donal Casey, said that just before the launch of a major film or book, there is invariably a rise in malware attacks. Itpro.co.uk published this.

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» SPAMfighter News - 8/1/2007