Many of us are still rejoicing with the death of one of our biggest threats, Osama Bin Laden, but for those out there that are not Internet savvy the time to prepare your computer for a scam has come. FBI agents have discovered a piece of malware, formally known as virus, that is spreading like a wild fire. What can you do to protect yourself and your computer and can your friend's e-mail be trusted?
Unknowingly Sohaib Athar, an avid tweeter from Abottabad, had been the first person to describe the events of the raid. All of it started with a simple tweet that stated he was witnessing the Navy SEAL's helicopter make an entrance into the location, followed shortly by gunshots. In an estimated three hours Athar's page was compromised by hackers and began pushing out the virus; it was quickly put into the Blackhole exploit kit classification. Blackhole, originating in Russia, was first put out on the scene in September of 2010 and since then has gained rather quick market share and became one of the most prevalent of exploit kits. There are many different ways that the Blackhole can get you including e-mails and links inside of our favorite websites, such as Facebook and Twitter; even a casual Google search and yield undesirable results. Once this virus has a hold of your computer it can steal some very personal information ranging from credit card numbers and e-mail contacts to bank account information which would allow the hackers full access to your hard earned cash. Amidst all of the negativity there is a way to avoid such a troublesome virus from infecting your computer.
You always hear of the basic scans that you can run with your choice of anti-virus, sometimes referred to as anti-malware/spyware, but this alone can not protect your computer from the complications of the Blackhole. E-mails are a major contributor in spreading harmful malware to several computers at once, but only if you open the letter and download or click the links provided. A few of the known files that people tend to receive title themselves "Fotos_Osama_Bin_Laden.zip" or "pictures-of-osama-dead.exe". When opened they will extract the harmful files into your system where it then begins to take the personal information listed above. Once it gains access to your contacts they will then proceed to send them the same e-mail you received masking their true appearance. With that said be sure to warn your friends and family of suspicious e-mails from yourself or others. Besides files, the Blackhole has hid itself in links that you may see in e-mails and over social networking sites. If curiosity has struck and you really feel the urge to get click happy, take a second to review some of the titles below that you would see that have malware attached to them.
- Facebook content - "SHOCKING NEW video of OSAMA BIN LADENS DEATH!!" Exclusive BANNED VIDEO footage...
- E-mail content - You will see links that state "Heuristic.LooksLike.Win32.EPO.F", "Artemis!7C4314D9690D", "Laden is holding a newspaper with today's date."
Among the links and e-mails there is a very well hidden "plug-in" called Codec. If you were to visit a site that seems harmless and get slapped with a message that may state; "In order to view this video you need to install Codec", please do not install it. Codec is a part of the Blackhole exploit kit and will shortly be taking your information upon installation. Scans are always recommended by companies, including McAfee, AVG, Norton, Symantec, Websense, etc., but are only effective in catching the virus once it has installed and by that time information you find valuable can already be compromised. However, do not ever neglect running scans for your computer on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and ALWAYS update your anti-virus.
Remember to be alert when cruising the web or reading e-mails. Key things to look for include misspelled words, bad grammar and characters not normally associated with the English language. If a link seems suspicious, divert your attention to another headline that has previously caught your attention. Anti-virus is a very good defense against many malicious items, but it alone can not be trusted with your valuable information. Remain educated by reading this and other blogs that are seeking to help you better understand the Internet and how it affects your daily life.
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