Internet Security | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

You can get a ZeuS infection through a drive-by download from a malicious website or a hacked legitimate site. Clicking a link in an innocent-looking email can also open your system to attack. This past week, there was a surge of fake LinkedIn connection requests linked to ZeuS. While savvy users avoid clicking links from strangers, even links from friends can be dangerous, as a virus might have infected their system. But being cautious isn't enough. You might think a Trojan or virus attack affects only your computer, but this is far from the truth. The threat known as ZeuS or ZBot is a tool used by an international cybercrime ring with a single goal: to steal your money. While several criminals were charged recently, many remain free, and the malicious code continues to spread. To protect against all potential infection sources, you must install a security suite on any internet-connected computer. Because cybercriminals frequently release new ZeuS variants, you need a suite with...

WikiLeaks faced another distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Tuesday morning, as reported by Fast Company. This attack was more intense than the one on Sunday, but it still didn't come close to shutting down the site. A computer hacker known as "The Jester" shocked officials by claiming responsibility for the cyber attack that disabled the WikiLeaks website on Sunday morning. This incident occurred just before WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. embassy cables to the public. The Jester, an ex-soldier, justified his hacking by accusing the website of "attempting to endanger the lives of our troops, 'other assets,' and foreign relations." The self-proclaimed "hacktivist for good" turned to the web to combat terrorism and organizations that seem to support Islamic extremism after his military service. Cybersecurity expert Mikko Hypponen of F-Secure told CNN he believed The Jester was indeed behind the attack. WikiLeaks ...

Over the past three days, the European Union, the U.S., and NATO have approved new plans to combat cybercrime. On Monday, the European Commission announced its proposals to develop three systems aimed at enhancing cybersecurity for citizens and businesses. First, the E.U. plans to establish a cybercrime center by 2013 to coordinate cooperation between member states, E.U. institutions, and international partners. Second, a European information sharing and alert system, also set for 2013, will facilitate communication between rapid-response teams and law enforcement authorities. Third, the Commission aims to create a network of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) by 2012, with a CERT in every E.U. country. Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström assured that these systems would not lead to the creation of another citizens' information database. She emphasized that the goal is to manage the flow of information to prevent cyber-attacks, not to store data. Meanwhile, follo...

Attackers are targeting people searching for last-minute Halloween costume ideas, reported CyberDefender on Oct. 29. The Internet security vendor, along with other firms like Blue Coat and BitDefender, warned users about the dangers of searching online for Halloween-related topics. "Popular search terms have always been a target for cyber-criminals," said Achal Khetarpal, director of CyberDefender Research Labs. CyberDefender identified a fake anti-virus Trojan downloader infecting pages related to Halloween costume searches. When users visit these pages, the fake anti-virus installer hijacks the user's web browser and initiates a malicious process, making the PC sluggish and exposing personal data. One form of this attack, identified by Panda Labs, displays a fake video player page and prompts users to download a codec to play the video. "Popular search terms reflect current user interests, making them lucrative targets," Khetarpal explained. Criminals create p...