Security Professionals Detect Gold-rush Spam

Article Written By: eccuni

Cybercriminals are proactive in leveraging events to their advantage. They do not miss any opportunity to target unwary Internet users, irrespective of the nature of the event. They exploit sporting events such as Soccer or Cricket World Cup, political unrest such as that in Egypt and Libya, economic unrest such as recession, and natural disasters such as earthquake and Tsunami.

Recently, security researchers at Symantec identified a 'Gold-rush' spam that attempts to take advantage of rise in gold Prices. The metal's prices rose above $1500 prompting spammers to lure users with investor kits for acquiring gold.

The latest set of spam e-mails come with at enticing subject lines such as "Is Gold your ticket to future", which make users read the e-mail. According to researchers at Symantec, the messages are usually in HTML and contain word obfuscation between tags and web addresses. The e-mail prompts user to click a link. Unwary users, who opt to click the link, are redirected to a fraudulent site, where they can subscribe to an investor kit. The sites contain images of subject-matter experts to make them appear as legitimate to the targeted individuals.

Individuals are required to disclose their personal information such as name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address. The extracted information could be used to further propagate spam or launch phishing attacks. The latest spam seems to be well-researched, and attracts immediate attention of Internet users. IT security specialists qualified in masters of security science may identify and alert users on security threats through blogs, tutorials and online discussion forums.

Security researchers at Symantec have termed these spam e-mails as hit-and-run spam as they come in large volumes, the domains rotate frequently and the originating IP addresses within the same 24 IP range.

Spam e-mails are now cleverly crafted and more sophisticated. Internet users may not be able to distinguish between a cleverly crafted spam e-mail and offer by a legitimate company. E-tutorials and online degree courses on cybersecurity may help users in understanding various Internet-based threats and adopting best computing practices.

Personal information regarding users is easily available on social networking sites. Cybercriminals extract contact details from these sites and launch targeted attacks. LinkedIn users were targeted with Bugat financial Trojan last year. As organizations are increasingly making use of social media sites for business promotion, they must alert employees on different types of cyber threats through e-learning programs. Professionals may benefit from online university degree programs on IT security and enhance their skill sets.

About the Author

online degree and masters of security science

You Can Link Directly to "Security Professionals Detect Gold-rush Spam" by using the url:
http://www.allbestarticles.com//internet/security/security-professionals-detect-gold-rush-spam.html

This Article Has Been Published on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 and Read 236 Times

Find All Best Articles at http://www.allbestarticles.com

Rating: Not yet rated

Comments

No comments posted. Comments are closed.

Related information on Security

Counter Crime Agencies in Finland Bust Cybercrime Ring
Security Professionals Detect Gold-rush Spam
Law Enforcement Authorities Bust Vishing Scam
Microsoft Cautions Users of Vulnerabilities in Chrome and Opera
Oracle Plans to Address 73 Security Vulnerabilities in Next Quarterly Critical Patch Update
Step-By-Step Procedure of SSL Certificate Installation
The Value of Website Security Testing Through a Regular Audit
The Importance of Web Application Penetration Testing
Are You a Target for Social Networking Identity Theft?
Gateway security is vitally important
Types of Internet Scams - Don't be a victim
You Disregard Application Surety
Other forms of internet security
How To Protect PC from Spywares and Adware
Secure Deletion Private Data: Tips And Tricks For Windows
How to delete Firefox Mozilla internet temporary files?
How to avoid viruses
Importance of PC Anti Spyware and Spyware blockers