Two weeks to save your computer from major cyber attack

Uploaded on 2014-08-20 in TECHNOLOGY--Hackers

Computer users have under two weeks to save themselves from a cyber attack blamed for millions of pounds of fraud across the world.

The National Crime Agency teamed up with the FBI and other cybercrime experts to take down a criminal network’s ‘command-and-control’ – but admit they cannot keep it down for long.
More than 15,500 British computers have already been invaded. Many more, running on Windows, remain under threat from ‘botnets’, which can steal money from accounts without users’ knowledge.

In the US alone, gangs are thought to have taken $500million in fraudulent transactions in 2013.
It is not just bank details being targeted; webcams can be used to spy on you, and criminals may also seek to gain money through holding photographs, email accounts or information to ransom.

The gangs are thought to be based in Russia or Eastern Europe, using malware such as Gameover Zeus, GOZeus, or P2PZeus, and ransomware CryptoLocker. The FBI last night described the alleged ringleader, Evgeniy Bogachev, as one of the most active cyber criminals in the world and issued a ‘most wanted’ poster to seek his arrest.

The criminal network was discovered in 2011, and seizing it temporarily in Operation Tovar is said to have been ‘extremely costly’.

The NCA urged people to tighten their software security. It said its warning was not intended to cause panic but added: ‘We cannot over-stress the importance of taking these steps immediately.’

Steve Rawlinson, whose company Tagadab helped target the network said the criminals could get around the take-down in as little as a week. ‘The scale of this operation is unprecedented,’ he added.

Russian wanted over cybercrime botnet

The US has charged a Russian man with being behind a major cybercrime operation that affected individuals and businesses worldwide.

Evgeniy Bogachev, said to be known as "lucky12345" and "slavik", is accused of being involved in attacks on more than a million computers.

The charges came as authorities seized control of a botnet used to steal personal and financial data.

Computer users were urged to run checks to protect themselves from the threat.

In a press conference held on Monday, the US Department of Justice said it believed Mr. Bogachev was last known to be residing in Anapa, Russia.

Cooperation with Russian authorities had been "productive", a spokesman added.
In an entry added to the FBI's Cyber Most Wanted list, it stated: "He is known to enjoy boating and may travel to locations along the Black Sea in his boat."

His charges, filed in a court in Pittsburgh, included conspiracy, wire, bank and computer fraud, and money laundering.

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said people probably had "two weeks" before the criminals would get the botnet functioning again, and posted advice on how to best protect computers.

Internet service providers (ISPs) will be contacting customers known to have been affected by either letter or email. The first notices were sent out on Monday, the BBC understands.

Advice from Get Safe Online

Install internet security software from companies listed on Get Safe Online's Facebook and Google+ profiles to download a free tool to scan for Gameover Zeus and CryptoLocker, and remove them from your computer
Do not open attachments in emails unless you are 100% certain that they are authentic
Make sure your internet security software is up-to-date and switched on at all times
Make sure your Windows operating system has the latest Microsoft updates applied
Make sure your software programs have the latest manufacturers' updates applied
Make sure all of your files including documents, photos, music and bookmarks are backed up and readily available in case you are no longer able to access them on your computer
Never store passwords on your computer in case they are accessed by Gameover Zeus or another aggressive malware program

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The action related to a strain of malware - meaning malicious software - known as Gameover Zeus.

Malware is typically downloaded by unsuspecting users via what is known as a phishing attack, usually in the form of an email that looks like it comes from somewhere legitimate - such as a bank - when it fact it is designed to trick a person into downloading malicious software.
Once installed on a victim's machine, Gameover Zeus will search specifically for files containing financial information.

If it cannot find anything it deems of worth, some strains of Gameover Zeus will then install Cryptolocker - a ransomware program that locks a person's machine until a fee is paid.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi-tech crime terms

Bot - one of the individual computers in a botnet; bots are also called drones or zombies
Botnet - a network of hijacked home computers, typically controlled by a criminal gang
Malware - an abbreviation for malicious software i.e. a virus, Trojan or worm that infects a PC
Ransomware - like malware, but once in control it demands a fee to unlock a PC

« Who Wants To Run The NSA Now?

Beware Poodle Bug! »