Oct to Nov 2010 - Teletimes

Thousands of online
banking customers
have their accounts emptied by the
‘most dangerous trojan virus ever created’
Trojan is still at large and may strike again, experts warn
Bank affected has still not
been named
Cyber criminals have raided
the accounts of thousands of
British internet bank customers
in one of the most sophisticated
attacks of its kind.
The fraudsters used a malicious
computer programme
that hides on home computers
to steal confidential passwords
and account details
from at least 3,000 people.
The internet security experts
M86, who uncovered the
scam, estimate that at least
£675,000 has been illegally
transferred from the UK in the
last month - and that the attacks
are still continuing.
Out of action: The new trojan
virus can empty bank accounts
without their owners
knowing about the theft as it
shows them fake statements
All the victims were customers
with the same unnamed
online bank, the company
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TROJAN PROTECTION TIPS
Make sure your anti-virus software is
up to date.
Keep firewalls set to the highest level.
Never open an e-mail attachment
from someone you don’t know.
Never double-click on an e-mail attachment
that ends in exe. It is an
‘executable’ file and can do what it
likes in your system.
If you think your machine has already
been infected, contact your bank immediately.
If the bank thinks you are
a genuine victim of fraud it will reimburse
you.
said. Last night online banking
customers were urged to
make sure their anti-virus
software was up to date - and
to check for any missing sums
from their accounts.
The attack has been traced to
a ‘control and command’ centre
in Eastern Europe. However,
the nationality of the
cybercriminals is unknown.
The attacks were carried out
when hundreds of thousands
of home computers were infected
with a type of harmful
computer code called a Trojan.
Trojans hide in websites,
emails or downloads. Once
installed on a computer they
can record every type of the
keyboard, steal confidential
information or even open up
a PC’s security so that it can
be controlled remotely from
another country.
The latest attack involved a
Trojan called Zeus v3 which
hides inside adverts on legitimate
websites.
Once installed on a home computer,
the programme waits
until the user visits their online
bank and then secretly
records their account details
and passwords - using the information
to transfer between
£1,000 and £5,000 to other
bank accounts.
Online banking customers
can take measures to protect
themselves by keeping their
anti-virus software up to date
and keeping their firewalls set
to the highest level.
Victims of online banking
fraud usually get their money
back. T
62 www.teletimesinternational.com
Publisher-Editor: Khalid Athar - Printer: Muhammad Sharif Cheema,
Maryah Printers, 67, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Place of Publication: 10-B/2, Taj Mahal Plaza, Murree Road Rawalpindi.
15Oct - 14Nov 2010