Saturday, May 14, 2011

Beware ~ Cyber Scams Rife at Social Networks

May 14, 2011

Cyber scams rife at social networks: Microsoft

Social networks are "lucrative hot beds" for cyber scams as crooks endeavor to dupe members of online communities, according to a Microsoft security report released on Thursday.

"Phishing" attacks that use seemingly legitimate messages to trick people into clicking on booby-trapped links, buying bogus software, or revealing information rocketed 1,200 percent at social networks last year, it said.

"We continue to see cyber criminals evolve attack methods such as a significant rise in social network phishing," Microsoft malware protection center manager Vinny Gullotto said in the Security Intelligence Report.

Phishing using social networking as a "lure" represented 84.5 percent of all such trickery in December as compared with 8.3 percent at the start of 2010, according to the report.

Microsoft analyzed data gathered from more than 600 million computer systems worldwide from July through December of last year for the semi-annual study.

"The popularity of social networking sites has created new opportunities for cyber criminals to not only directly impact users, but also friends, colleagues and family through impersonation," the report said.

"These techniques add to an existing list of social engineering techniques, such as financial and product promotions, to extort money or trick users into downloading malicious content."

Social engineering is a reference to fooling people to access machines or data instead of trying to hack into networks using software skills.

Microsoft noticed a "polarization" of cyber criminal behavior and a surge in the use of "marketing-like" deception tactics to steal money from people.

"On one side, highly sophisticated criminals skilled at creating exploits and informed with intelligence about a target’s environment pursue high-value targets with large payoffs," the report said.

"On the other side, there are cyber criminals using more accessible attack methods, including social engineering tactics and leveraging exploits created by the more skilled criminals, to take a small amount of money from a large number of people."

Criminals used malicious software to trick people with false advertisements, fake security software, and pay-per-click schemes that generate cash when Internet links are activated, according to Microsoft.

Detections of software crafted to infect machines with pop-up advertisements meanwhile rose 70 percent from the middle of last year to the end of December, the report indicated.

"With more consumers and devices coming online every day, cyber criminals now have more opportunities than before to deceive users through attack methods like adware, phishing and rogue security software," said Graham Titterington of Britain-based analyst firm Ovum.

"It’s becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to decipher legitimate communications and promotions given the sophistication of tools criminals are using."

Rogue security software, referred to as "scareware," was one of the most common ways for cyber criminals worldwide to bilk people out of money and steal information from computers.

The ploy seeks to dupe Internet users by pretending to find viruses and other problems on computers and then offering to sell a program to fix the situation. The software being hawked is a virus.

Computer users were advised to guard against threats by keeping programs updated, using reputable security software, and not clicking links or opening files without making certain they are safe.

http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/gopa.detail.php?article_id=50089&cat_id=27

Friday, May 13, 2011

White House to unveil cyber-security strategy

Related article ~ May 26-27 ~ Internet Titans to Meet, Advise G8 ...


May 13, 2011

White House to unveil cybersecurity strategy

The White House plans to unveil its policy proposals next week for international cooperation in cyberspace.

The White House said Friday that it plans to release a policy document -- "US International Strategy for Cyberspace" -- at an event on Monday.

"This first-of-its-kind policy document offers our comprehensive vision for the future of international cooperation in cyberspace," the White House said in a statement.

It said the document outlines the US agenda "for partnering with other nations and peoples to ensure the prosperity, security, and openness that we seek in our increasingly networked world."

The State Department said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has made Internet freedom one of her priorities, will deliver keynote remarks at the event.

"The strategy lays out a comprehensive, principled vision for the future of cyberspace," the State Department said.

It said Clinton's remarks "will address the role of cyberspace in advancing the full range of US interests and the importance of international cooperation in advancing cyberspace as a foreign policy priority."

The White House said other top officials attending the event will include John Brennan, President Barack Obama's counter-terror chief, Attorney General Eric Holder, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

The announcement came a day after the White House proposed draft legislation aimed at toughening the defenses of government and private industry against the growing danger from cyberattack.

Obama has identified cybersecurity as a top priority of his administration and the White House legislation joins some 50 cyber-related bills introduced during the last session of Congress.

The White House bill would require critical infrastructure such as the power, financial and transportation sectors to come up with plans to better protect their increasingly Internet-connected computer networks.

The White House is hoping for action by Congress on the bill this year.

http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=98678276&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281