Mobile Malware Report Predicts ‘Significant’ Uptick in Cellphone Attacks

On the heels of a recent study warning about mobile malware emerging as the new frontier of cyber crime comes another report that discusses the evolution of both smart devices and the threats that target them.

The “Smartphone Malware Report,” by Panda Security and Spain’s National Cyber-Security Advisory Council, follows…

FBI Memos Reveal Cost of Hacker Attacks

A hacker attack on a company’s website can be expensive, but exactly how much money it takes to recover from one is rarely disclosed by impacted parties. Now, however, internal FBI memos obtained by The New York Times through a Freedom of Information Act request provide a glimpse into how much…

Stuxnet Spreads to Finland

Corporate espionage is spreading in Finland, and the Land of the Thousands Lakes was recently targeted by the infamous Stuxnet worm, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports.

The complex malware has been found in at least one institution that uses the industrial equipment targeted by the worm. It has not caused any damage. In addition, Finnish state institutions have also been attacked. According to the Finnish Security Police,…

Notorious Worm Stuxnet Used in Poisoned Search Results

Cyber crooks are now taking advantage of the infamous Stuxnet worm as a way to deploy malicious code.

Trend Micro researcher Ivan Macalintal has discovered poisoned search results leveraging on this notorious malware threat. Among the search strings used in this blackhat SEO campaign were “stuxnet SCADA,” “stuxnet removal tool,” “stuxnet cleanup,” “stuxnet siemens” and “stuxnet worm.”

Some of these poisoned search words and phrases came up as…

Cyber Vandals Take Down School Sites

Cyber vandals last week took down several websites belonging to Louisiana schools and a school board, but officials said sensitive student and employee information had not not compromised, a Louisiana paper reports.

The attack on Livingston Parish School Board website and several Livingston Parish schools was uncovered when visitors to the sites were greeted by a message that read, “HACKED By ch0unix — WE ARE CRAZY…

Stuxnet, an Inside Job?

The Stuxnet worm blamed for infecting hundreds of thousands computers and critical infrastructure in Iran could have been an inside job, according to security experts.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, told V3.co.uk the malware could have been created by someone with detailed knowledge of Siemens’ computer systems, possibly a current or former employee.

Attending the Virus Bulletin 2010 conference in Vancouver, Cluley said the worm…

European Union Considers Stronger Cybersecurity, Stricter Penalties for Hackers

Europe must build stronger defenses against cyber attacks and enforce harsher punishments against convicted hackers, the European Commission said yesterday.

According to AFP, the commission proposed a new regulation imposing a prison sentence of at least two years for using malicious software or stealing computer passwords to commit a crime. For more serious crimes…

Twitter Worm Spreads Vulgar Messages

In the light of the Stuxnet malware, a newly discovered worm spreading vulgar tweets may seem on the humorous side. However, those affected by this malicious code are not laughing, having seen how the virus spread messages saying they liked having inappropriate relations with goats, Sophos reports.

Twitter users found their accounts were posting the crude message of “goat romance” after they clicked on links reading “WTF.” Clicking…

Stuxnet Worm Suspected of Targeting ‘High-Value’ Infrastructure in Iran

One of the most sophisticated and complex pieces of malware ever detected was probably targeting “high-value” infrastructure in Iran, BBC News reports.

Some researchers claim the intricacy of Stuxnet indicates the malware could only have been created by a national government agency. Experts believe the malware to be the first of its kind to target critical infrastructure such as power stations, water plants and industrial units. Although…

Thailand Sees Increase in Cyber Crime

Thailand’s cyber crime ranking in the Asia Pacific region has grown due to a spike in the country’s online population, according to a new Symantec Internet Security Threat Report.

According to Nopchai Tangtritham, senior technical consultant at Symantec Thailand, the report showed Thailand ranked 21 in global malicious activities in 2009 and shifted…