A Malware Victim’s Story
February 15th, 2008 by Shanmuga
"When you have spinal and liver cancer, computer infections are the least of your worries. But even the least of worries can diminish your quality of life. Tim, a resident of Aberdeen, Wash., just wanted to play some online games, his friend Sharon explained over the phone on Tuesday. Sharon provided her last name and address, but asked that it not be published because Tim and she are dealing with identity theft, in addition to cancer.
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"The very first computer virus did not happen on a Windows machine, or a Mac or an Apple II. The first virus did not travel via the Internet or in an email or in a floppy disk. The first virus was not on a minicomputer, nor was it on a mainframe. That’s because the first computer virus didn’t exist on any computer hardware or software of any kind. It was in a work of fiction.
"The number of legitimate Web sites that have been hacked and seeded with code that tries to infect the visitor’s PC with malware now exceeds the number of sites specifically created by cyber criminals, according to a report released today.
"Security experts have warned users to focus on securing their whole online lifestyle in 2008. Care should be taken in all aspects of online services, including bill payments, shopping and stock trading, and not just in the use of social networking and gaming sites.
"The malware threat landscape is changing rapidly and it spells tremendous opportunities for McAfee Inc, the leading antivirus and computer security firm. India is likely to play a great role to help the company meet its challenges, McAfee president and CEO David DeWalt on his first visit to India after assuming office at the Santa Clara-headquartered firm last year.
"One of the best ways to fight the criminal malware networks that now populate the Internet might actually be the simplest - publicize their existence. That is one conclusion that to be drawn from a white paper published by a volunteer group, the Shadowserver Foundation, which assesses the activities of the Russian Business Network (RBN), a major crimeware hub which abruptly disappeared from the Internet in November, after its existence received worldwide publicity.
"Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows virus that steals login details for online bank accounts. In the last month, the malicious program has racked up about 5,000 victims - most of whom are in Europe. Many are falling victim via booby-trapped websites that use vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s browser to install the attack code.
