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Cybercriminals Getting More Personal
Mike Sachoff
Staff Writer
2008-10-13
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
Cybercrime is becoming more personal as criminals collect data form social networking sites, data breaches, and other sources, according to a new report from McAfee.
 | | Cybercriminals Getting More Personal |  |
"Cybercriminals are crafting attacks that are virtually impossible for computer users to identify," said Jeff Green, senior vice president, McAfee Avert Labs. "Phishing scams, e-mail attacks, Trojan horses, and other attacks are so personalized that even someone with the most watchful eye could fall for a carefully socially-engineered trap."
In the past six months, cyberscammers have exploited human emotions and curiosity in an effort to attract victims and steal personal information. Recent scams have involved news and events such as the Olympics, natural disasters, and the U.S. presidential election.
McAfee says the depth of personalized attacks will increase, as users become more comfortable posting information about themselves online. With the increase in user-generated applications, cybercriminals are using information and vulnerabilities in social networking sites to create attacks. McAfee predicts users will be caught off guard by the level detail and personalization in attack messages from cybercriminals.
Cybercriminals will lure victims by faking believable spam messages based on real information. McAfee says the trend will continue, as scammers gather personal information about users from social networking sites or data breaches to understand users credit card information, interests, and behavior.
Stock scams will increase and the growth of social engineering will be used increasingly to affect stocks and shares, moving beyond the common "pump and dump" scam used by spammers to claim that a low-priced stock is about to make large gains.
McAfee has tracked an increase in malicious software appearing as applications from "security" vendors. Scammers use pop-up ads to tell users that their computers are infected and that only the vendor's software can clean the machine. Not only does the software offer increased protection, but it can often lead to downloading new malware onto a user's machine.
"No matter where you live or what language you speak, cybercrooks will exploit basic human nature, zeroing in on emotions of fear, curiosity, greed, and sympathy," said Green. "Criminals understand human weaknesses and will increasingly use the power of the Internet to exploit those weaknesses. It's an easy way for cybercrooks to make money and for spies to steal sensitive data."
About the Author:
Mike is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.
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