The distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) targeting Twitter, Facebook and other websites on Thursday were directed by Russian hackers at a Georgian blogger with the nickname Cyxymu, according to reports.
The blogger had been posting accounts of events leading to the conflict between Russia and Georgia last August to his blog and linked through Twitter and other social networks, he told the New York Times.
Attackers also bombarded email inboxes with spam that appeared to come from the Gmail email address of the blogger, in order to intimidate him and show him that he was the target of the attacks, according to the Avert Labs blog of web security firm McAfee.
By Friday, Twitter was back online after suffering a second wave of attacks. Cyxymu posted a message on his Twitter page that said: "My twitter is online! Thank you all for support after ciber [sic] attack from Russia!"
PC World reported that Twitter continued to experience DDoS attacks on Friday and into Saturday, but the company set up defenses to block the excess traffic.
A DDoS attack uses networks of malware-infected PCs, called botnets, to overwhelm a website with traffic. Similar cyberattacks occurred in early June that knocked out government websites in the U.S. and South Korea.
Tag Archives: McAfee
Trojan malware ‘Puper’ targets Macs
Filed under Security News
Tagged as AdobeFlash, Mac OS X, Macs, malware, McAfee, Puper, target, trojan
Tagged as AdobeFlash, Mac OS X, Macs, malware, McAfee, Puper, target, trojan
Web security researchers have spotted a Trojan malware called Puper that disguises itself as a Mac Cinema installer that attempts to download other malware.
According to security researchers at McAfee, the attack appears to users as a disk image, which launches an installer application for the phony Mac Cinema software. Once the installer completes its task, the user becomes infected with a script file named AdobeFlash.
The malicious script launches itself every five hours and attempts to download and launch other malware, McAfee reported.
Last month, security researchers at Sophos spotted a similar Mac Trojan that disguised itself as a video codec. Called Jahlav, the malware came embedded in what appeared to be a pornography site that required users to download the file to see video.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said Mac users need to be aware that they are not immune from the threat of viruses, even though most hackers target Windows users.
"Some Mac users may have thought that it was safe to surf for porn on their Apple Mac, but they were wrong," he said.
According to security researchers at McAfee, the attack appears to users as a disk image, which launches an installer application for the phony Mac Cinema software. Once the installer completes its task, the user becomes infected with a script file named AdobeFlash.
The malicious script launches itself every five hours and attempts to download and launch other malware, McAfee reported.
Last month, security researchers at Sophos spotted a similar Mac Trojan that disguised itself as a video codec. Called Jahlav, the malware came embedded in what appeared to be a pornography site that required users to download the file to see video.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said Mac users need to be aware that they are not immune from the threat of viruses, even though most hackers target Windows users.
"Some Mac users may have thought that it was safe to surf for porn on their Apple Mac, but they were wrong," he said.
Spam filters targeting foreign countries hurt legit URLs
Spammers have learned to target recipients in countries other than where they are located to avoid the ire of their local governments, according to the July spam report released by web security vendor McAfee.
But because spam emails seem to come predominantly from a few country top line domains, like .cn and .ru (China and Russia, respectively), spam blockers that target those domains will hurt legitimate websites and businesses coming from those countries. Call it collateral damage in the war on spam.
"Spam has a long-term effect on international commerce. It can occur when administrators decide to block a sender's IP based entirely on geolocation," the report said. "These sorts of policy decisions … represent a digital bias against certain languages or countries that could affect legitimate communications."
The institutions providing the domain registrations for spammers thus are crippling the opportunities for legitimate domains in those countries, perhaps driving more companies into the spam business.
Examining spam subject lines by country domain, McAfee found that spammers have tailored their campaigns based on what works best in different locations.
At the same time, spammers avoid directing traffic to URLs in the countries in which they operate, McAfee said.
But because spam emails seem to come predominantly from a few country top line domains, like .cn and .ru (China and Russia, respectively), spam blockers that target those domains will hurt legitimate websites and businesses coming from those countries. Call it collateral damage in the war on spam.
"Spam has a long-term effect on international commerce. It can occur when administrators decide to block a sender's IP based entirely on geolocation," the report said. "These sorts of policy decisions … represent a digital bias against certain languages or countries that could affect legitimate communications."
The institutions providing the domain registrations for spammers thus are crippling the opportunities for legitimate domains in those countries, perhaps driving more companies into the spam business.
Examining spam subject lines by country domain, McAfee found that spammers have tailored their campaigns based on what works best in different locations.
At the same time, spammers avoid directing traffic to URLs in the countries in which they operate, McAfee said.
Online security fears affect consumers more than economy
Seventy-two percent of consumers said the economy has not changed the way they shop online, but nearly half of consumers have terminated an online order due to security fears, according to a new survey by web security vendor McAfee.
Tim Dowling, vice president of McAfee's web security group, said security concerns are the driving force behind whether an online transaction is completed or terminated.
According to the survey, 63 percent of online consumers won't purchase from a website that does not display a trustmark or security policy.
A trustmark is a seal, logo or icon displayed on e-commerce websites to show that merchants are making an effort to protect their customers.
The Harris Interactive study also showed that 90 percent of consumers are concerned about their security when shopping on new or unknown sites and 47 percent of consumers look for trustmarks to feel safe when shopping on a lesser known site.
By displaying a trustmark, the lesser known site can prove credibility to potential customers and gain market share from larger sites, McAfee said.
Tim Dowling, vice president of McAfee's web security group, said security concerns are the driving force behind whether an online transaction is completed or terminated.
According to the survey, 63 percent of online consumers won't purchase from a website that does not display a trustmark or security policy.
A trustmark is a seal, logo or icon displayed on e-commerce websites to show that merchants are making an effort to protect their customers.
The Harris Interactive study also showed that 90 percent of consumers are concerned about their security when shopping on new or unknown sites and 47 percent of consumers look for trustmarks to feel safe when shopping on a lesser known site.
By displaying a trustmark, the lesser known site can prove credibility to potential customers and gain market share from larger sites, McAfee said.
Dating spam uptick may mean users are easily duped
Trend Micro reports a rise in spam related to adult dating websites, which the antivirus vendor said is likely due to the effectiveness of these emails for phishing personal information including credit card numbers.
The subject lines of the phishing spam include phrases such as "I'm emailing you because I like you," "wanted to let you know about my profile" and "you have been invited to join." The emails provide a link to an adult dating website that contains a clickable ad that says, "CLICK HERE TO CHAT FOR FREE."
Following the link takes the visitor to a registration site for providing an email address and password and continues to other registration sites where users are asked to fill out personal details, including a request for credit card information.
Although the chat is supposedly "free," the website claims a credit card is needed to prevent minors from trying to log in.
Trend Micro said the simplicity of the scam could mean two things - cybercriminals are running out of new ideas, or this kind of phishing attack simply works too well.
In its June spam report, web security firm McAfee noted that spam of this sort is effective because many users have become overly dependent upon spam filters for detecting scams.
The subject lines of the phishing spam include phrases such as "I'm emailing you because I like you," "wanted to let you know about my profile" and "you have been invited to join." The emails provide a link to an adult dating website that contains a clickable ad that says, "CLICK HERE TO CHAT FOR FREE."
Following the link takes the visitor to a registration site for providing an email address and password and continues to other registration sites where users are asked to fill out personal details, including a request for credit card information.
Although the chat is supposedly "free," the website claims a credit card is needed to prevent minors from trying to log in.
Trend Micro said the simplicity of the scam could mean two things - cybercriminals are running out of new ideas, or this kind of phishing attack simply works too well.
In its June spam report, web security firm McAfee noted that spam of this sort is effective because many users have become overly dependent upon spam filters for detecting scams.
McAfee spam report: Obama’s first 100 days of spam
Filed under Security News
Tagged as McAfee, Obamas administration, President, swine flu, tackle, United States, usual pharmaceutical products, web security, Web security researchers
Tagged as McAfee, Obamas administration, President, swine flu, tackle, United States, usual pharmaceutical products, web security, Web security researchers
As spam volumes reached new highs in the first quarter of the year, web security researchers identified spam messages "branded" so as to appear to be coming from legitimate websites, image spam and headline spam as major trends to watch out for.
The June spam report released today by web security vendor McAfee traces the rise and fall of spam levels and trends through the first 100 days of the Obama presidency.
But the report identifies spam related to current events as having a bigger impact due to users' curiosity about the news. Spammers hopped on major stories like the swine flu outbreak to get more successful hits on their websites selling the usual pharmaceutical products.
Image spam is likely to drop off because images increase file size and slow down spambots from sending out large quantities.
However, branding spam messages to spoof legitimate websites is a successful spam strategy, the report said, because it can be very cheap and the hits per email delivered rises.
"President Obama’s administration is the first one in U.S. history that will have to seriously tackle the issues created by an interconnected world," the report said. "It will be interesting to follow his proposed policies to see if they have any more impact than those of previous governments."
The June spam report released today by web security vendor McAfee traces the rise and fall of spam levels and trends through the first 100 days of the Obama presidency.
But the report identifies spam related to current events as having a bigger impact due to users' curiosity about the news. Spammers hopped on major stories like the swine flu outbreak to get more successful hits on their websites selling the usual pharmaceutical products.
Image spam is likely to drop off because images increase file size and slow down spambots from sending out large quantities.
However, branding spam messages to spoof legitimate websites is a successful spam strategy, the report said, because it can be very cheap and the hits per email delivered rises.
"President Obama’s administration is the first one in U.S. history that will have to seriously tackle the issues created by an interconnected world," the report said. "It will be interesting to follow his proposed policies to see if they have any more impact than those of previous governments."
Report identifies search terms riskiest for malware
Filed under Security News
Tagged as Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani, internet users, McAfee, search engine, search engine optimization, Zuma Rossdale
Tagged as Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani, internet users, McAfee, search engine, search engine optimization, Zuma Rossdale
Cybercriminals are increasingly using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to target internet users who search for popular keywords, according to a new report that identifies the riskiest searches by category and country.
The report, by IT security company McAfee, concludes that the riskiest searches - those with the highest probability of leading to sites infected with viruses and other types of malware - include those for popular song lyrics, free music downloads and video game cheats.
People who search for free music downloads will get search results pages with an average of 20 percent risky websites. However, the overall risk of turning up malicious websites in searches is just 1.7 percent, McAfee said.
The report also found that more popular searches have a higher risk - suggesting that cybercriminals are paying attention to what terms will lead to more potential victims. For example, searches for Zuma Rossdale, the infant son of celebrity singers Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, can be as risky as 25 percent, suggesting that hackers pay significant attention to news events.
"If hackers are now motivated largely by profit, the biggest profits can be wrung from the largest pools of potential victims," the report concluded. "And on the web, popular trends and visitor traffic are highly correlated."
The report, by IT security company McAfee, concludes that the riskiest searches - those with the highest probability of leading to sites infected with viruses and other types of malware - include those for popular song lyrics, free music downloads and video game cheats.
People who search for free music downloads will get search results pages with an average of 20 percent risky websites. However, the overall risk of turning up malicious websites in searches is just 1.7 percent, McAfee said.
The report also found that more popular searches have a higher risk - suggesting that cybercriminals are paying attention to what terms will lead to more potential victims. For example, searches for Zuma Rossdale, the infant son of celebrity singers Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, can be as risky as 25 percent, suggesting that hackers pay significant attention to news events.
"If hackers are now motivated largely by profit, the biggest profits can be wrung from the largest pools of potential victims," the report concluded. "And on the web, popular trends and visitor traffic are highly correlated."