Till now Trojans were known to harm computers by corrupting system files etc. Well now the limit being stealing online money. Heres a report on the new kind of virus and its activities. The world is really going somewhere.
Researchers at security firm Finjan have discovered details of a new type of banking Trojan horse that doesn't just steal your bank log in credentials but actually steals money from your account while you are logged in and displays a fake balance.
The bank Trojan, dubbed URLzone, has features designed to thwart fraud detection systems which are triggered by unusual transactions, Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at Finjan, said in an interview on Tuesday. For instance, the software is programmed to calculate on-the-fly how much money to steal from an account based on how much money is available.
The specific Trojan Finjan researchers analyzed targets customers of unnamed German banks. It was linked back to a command-and-control server in Ukraine that was used to send instructions to the trojan software sitting infected PCs. Finjan has notified German law enforcement authorities, Ben-Itzhak said.
"It's a next generation bank trojan," he said. "This is part of a new trend of more sophisticated Trojans designed to evade antifraud systems."
Finjan researchers were able to trace the communications from the code on an infected machine back to the command-and-control server, which was left unsecured, according to Ben-Itzhak. On that server, they saw the LuckySploit administration console and were able to see exactly what types of rules the Trojan was written to follow and statistics on victims.
About 90,000 computers visited the sites housing the malware and 6,400 of them were infected, a 7.5 percent success rate, he said. Of those whose computers had the Trojan installed, a few hundred had money stolen from their bank accounts, he added.
During the span of 22 days in mid-August, the criminals behind the Trojan stole the euro equivalent of nearly $438,000, according to the security company.
Here's how the trojan works:
Potential victims get their computers infected either by opening an e-mail and clicking on a link to a Web site created to distribute malware or by visiting a site that has been compromised and malware hidden on it.
In this case the malware, a toolkit called LuckySpoilt, exploits a known security hole in the browser, affecting the major browsers, and installs the Trojan on the computer. When the Trojan notices the computer user visiting the site of a targeted bank it springs into action.
While the computer user goes about his or her business on the site, the Trojan looks at the available balance and figures out how much money to steal. The Trojan is given a minimum and a maximum range that is below the amount that triggers antifraud systems and to leave a certain percentage in the account, Ben-Itzhak said.
After performing the calculation, the Trojan then makes the transaction, communicating with the bank site through the browser without the computer user knowing.
"The Trojan is sending requests to the bank and getting replies that your browser doesn't display," Ben-Itzhak said. "You are looking at your account and you don't see any of it."
The Trojan has the money sent to the bank account of a money mule, someone who has an account set up to receive the funds. Money mules are typically people recruited online as "independent contractors" or "financial managers" whose sole purpose is to wire the money placed into their account to someone else, typically out of the country, in exchange for a commission. Because their accounts are used only once or twice, they often do not realize the ruse immediately, Ben-Itzhak said.
Meanwhile, the Trojan hides the theft by erasing it from the report of account activity displayed to the computer user and shows a fake balance--what the amount would be if not for the theft. The victim will not notice something is wrong until a different, uncompromised computer is used to access the account, an ATM is used, or a transaction is denied because of insufficient funds.
The Trojan also keeps a log of the victim's bank account log in credentials, takes screenshots, and snoops on the user's other Web accounts, such as PayPal, Facebook, and Gmail, according to the Finjan report.
This is the first Trojan Finjan has come across that hijacks a victim's browser session, steals the money while the victim is doing online banking, and then covers its tracks by modifying information displayed to the victim, all in real time.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
An Interesting iphone App
The iPhone App for the iT Staff
It’s been coming. iPhone apps started with the average consumer, then spread to small businesses, now they’ve hit the corporate level. Several apps are now aimed directly at the people who run computer networks for companies. On top of that, new businesses are springing up to make money from installing and supporting the apps on other companies’ devices…
PocketCloud, an iPhone app from Wyse Technology, a San-Jose based computer company, is one of several in the App Store that are more for IT people than average consumers. Simply, it lets employees access their Windows desktops from an iPhone.
Forgot to run a report, send an email, or backup the hard drive? Run PocketCloud and the phone's screen looks and functions just like the computer at work. If typing is needed, it brings up the iPhone's keyboard. A lot of effort was put into the software's interface so that you can see the cursor next to your finger, read the help bubbles that popup next to links, right-click, and view it in widescreen.
Most iPhone apps average around a $1 or so. PocketCloud is $29.95. Still, it's been downloaded some 10,000 times since it was released a month ago. Jeff McNaught, Wyse's Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer says that's because actual IT folks are snatching it up. They don't mind paying because it's the first time they've had this kind of mobility and it's worth the money, he says. The reviews on iTunes are effusive.
(One reason Wyse charged $29.95 was to keep people from picking it up cheaply to experiment, not becoming able to figure out its proper use, and end up posting a negative review of the software on iTunes.)
So how can it save companies money? Imagine an e-commerce company that makes a million dollar a minute has a server acting up after hours that needs to rebooted... You can see the need for immediacy.
Security is on the company's computer, not the phone, so no one can hack through the iPhone if it gets lost or stolen. Anyway, the newer iPhones have encryption and a "remote wipe" feature that lets owners erase the phone from any computer.
If a company wants something like PocketCloud and lacks the knowledge or bravery to deploy it, it could turn to an outfit like Enterprise Mobile. The Watertown, Mass.-based company has made a business out of installing mobile apps for businesses, integrating them with the old software, and making sure all the kinks get worked out.
It’s been coming. iPhone apps started with the average consumer, then spread to small businesses, now they’ve hit the corporate level. Several apps are now aimed directly at the people who run computer networks for companies. On top of that, new businesses are springing up to make money from installing and supporting the apps on other companies’ devices…
PocketCloud, an iPhone app from Wyse Technology, a San-Jose based computer company, is one of several in the App Store that are more for IT people than average consumers. Simply, it lets employees access their Windows desktops from an iPhone.
Forgot to run a report, send an email, or backup the hard drive? Run PocketCloud and the phone's screen looks and functions just like the computer at work. If typing is needed, it brings up the iPhone's keyboard. A lot of effort was put into the software's interface so that you can see the cursor next to your finger, read the help bubbles that popup next to links, right-click, and view it in widescreen.
Most iPhone apps average around a $1 or so. PocketCloud is $29.95. Still, it's been downloaded some 10,000 times since it was released a month ago. Jeff McNaught, Wyse's Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer says that's because actual IT folks are snatching it up. They don't mind paying because it's the first time they've had this kind of mobility and it's worth the money, he says. The reviews on iTunes are effusive.
(One reason Wyse charged $29.95 was to keep people from picking it up cheaply to experiment, not becoming able to figure out its proper use, and end up posting a negative review of the software on iTunes.)
So how can it save companies money? Imagine an e-commerce company that makes a million dollar a minute has a server acting up after hours that needs to rebooted... You can see the need for immediacy.
Security is on the company's computer, not the phone, so no one can hack through the iPhone if it gets lost or stolen. Anyway, the newer iPhones have encryption and a "remote wipe" feature that lets owners erase the phone from any computer.
If a company wants something like PocketCloud and lacks the knowledge or bravery to deploy it, it could turn to an outfit like Enterprise Mobile. The Watertown, Mass.-based company has made a business out of installing mobile apps for businesses, integrating them with the old software, and making sure all the kinks get worked out.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Pirate bay offline
Today marks victory for Swedish authorities and Hollywood and a sad day for file sharing. Today the Swedish Authorities have ordered The Pirate Bay to be taken offline immediately or the ISP could face heavy fines of 500,000 Kroner ($70,600 US) a day. The Pirate Bay's ISP had no choice but to comply and disconnect the website from the Internet.
The take down of The Pirate Bay comes 3 days earlier than expected, as the site was going offline on August 27 or legalize the site before then, which was unlikely to happen. Black Internet, The Pirate Bay's largest bandwidth supplier is not the only connection to the Internet the website has, technically the website could go back online until other ISP's are sent cease and desist orders.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. The Court seems to consider themselves above the Constitution", said the leader of The Pirate Party, Rich Falkvinge.
As one of the world's largest torrent trackers goes offline, dozens more will surface in its place. The Pirate Bay had over 25 million unique peers and 3.6 million registered users downloading from its website.
The future of The Pirate Bay is uncertain as the owners will face one year in prison and a fine of $2.4 million US.
Update: A Pirate Bay insider has told sources they have "got a new connection to the net" for their website. The owners of the website were prepared for take down actions such as today's and have secured another Internet connection for the website, with minimal down time. The Pirate Bay should return by tomorrow morning for almost all users.
The Pirate Bay team added this, "The MAFIAA has spent millions of dollars and endless amounts of time to get this ban in order. Our guess is that they also bribed a bit to get it since it violates so many laws not only in Sweden but also in the EU, not to mention violations against human rights. And what do they have to show for it? 3 hours of partial downtime."
The take down of The Pirate Bay comes 3 days earlier than expected, as the site was going offline on August 27 or legalize the site before then, which was unlikely to happen. Black Internet, The Pirate Bay's largest bandwidth supplier is not the only connection to the Internet the website has, technically the website could go back online until other ISP's are sent cease and desist orders.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. The Court seems to consider themselves above the Constitution", said the leader of The Pirate Party, Rich Falkvinge.
As one of the world's largest torrent trackers goes offline, dozens more will surface in its place. The Pirate Bay had over 25 million unique peers and 3.6 million registered users downloading from its website.
The future of The Pirate Bay is uncertain as the owners will face one year in prison and a fine of $2.4 million US.
Update: A Pirate Bay insider has told sources they have "got a new connection to the net" for their website. The owners of the website were prepared for take down actions such as today's and have secured another Internet connection for the website, with minimal down time. The Pirate Bay should return by tomorrow morning for almost all users.
The Pirate Bay team added this, "The MAFIAA has spent millions of dollars and endless amounts of time to get this ban in order. Our guess is that they also bribed a bit to get it since it violates so many laws not only in Sweden but also in the EU, not to mention violations against human rights. And what do they have to show for it? 3 hours of partial downtime."
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Free live streaming link for ipl matches
A site where you can watch IPL matches live. There are multiple links and you can choose which one suits your browser.
If you missed a live match, then here is another site where you can catch the highlights.
If you missed a live match, then here is another site where you can catch the highlights.
Power suit for farmers
So this is an interesting concept, a power suit designed to help a farmer. Researchers at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have been demoing a new power suit. It’s intended to be used by people hand harvesting in the farm industry. The 55 pound device supports the worker’s joints as they squat and reach. Within three years, they hope to have the cost within $10K. We’ve seen quite a few power suit devices this year, but research has been going on for many years.
source: google
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Retrieve your windows vista password
Many time most of my friends keep on asking me how to change password of an User in Windows Vista, as it was quite easy in Windows XP. But thats not a fair thing to do on others system. Well what you will do if you forget password of yours Vista ? The situation becomes even more worst when you don't have password reset disk !Don't worry here is the solution both paid and free ! Active Password Changer is the commercial solution and Ophcrack is solution for free. This guide will show you how to get Ophcrack and how to use it to crack and retrieve your Windows Vista password when you don't have any password reset disk at hand.
Click here to read more
A 3D desktop Interface
I recently came across a 3D desktop interface. Would be quite real using it with touch screen monitors. Heres a demo of it. Click here to go to Bumptop
Test your internet speed for free - Online
Did this web page loads slowly for you ? Did you get low Download speed as promised by your ISP previously ? You might have internet speed problem. Here are the tips, where you can check your Internet Speed for free online.
Speak Easy - You can chose lots of locations to check on your internet speed. Does Upload and Download speed measure.
Speed Test - This is my favorite speed test website, it looks good, fast check on upload and download speed and lets you save your speed test.
Bandwidth Speed Test - Does only what it says.Well I hope many of you are not going to be disappointed in speed tests you get, and if you do , call up your ISP provider and just make sure you are getting 80% of speed that they promised.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
InfoQ - Tracking change and innovation in the enterprise software development community
Came across a very interesting page on tracking changes in the IT/software development world. If you are looking to keep yourself updated on Information Technology, then you ought to have a peek into this site. Has lots of book reviews, articles, interviews, presentations along with slides and videos, and synchronized perfectly with the videos. Search for your topic of interest and you can find it. A very informative and educative site.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Tru phone introduces unlimited plans to india mobiles
Truphone,once a great Free Mobile VOIP Service lost the ground when they stopped offering free mobile voip calls to 40 countries. However they are now back in the VOIP market with a flat monthly billing Unlimited Calling Package which included 40 countries around the world including India,Pakistan, bangladesh and many more.
If you don't know what TruPhone is, its basically a Mobile VOIP Service that means you need to have a Mobile which supports Wifi and SIP. Truphone also works over GPRS, but the call quality could be poor due to lack of bandwidth. Most latest Mobile Phones supports SIP and Wifi, mostly all N and E series Nokia phones do support SIP and VOIP Calling.
TruPhone's TruUnlimited Landline package starts at $17, however it does not include all the countries and calls are restricted to Landlines only. Don't worry, They also have a TruUnlimited Mobile package which offers unlimited calls to landlines + Mobiles in all the countries including India and most other asian countries.
You have two options to choose from:
TruUnlimited Landlines ($17)
Unlimited calls to landlines* in 38 countries worldwide. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract. Also includes unlimited calls to mobiles in 9 countries including the USA and China as a bonus!
TruUnlimited Mobiles ($40)
Along with unlimited calls to landlines* this plan includes unlimited calls to mobiles* in 69 countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany and China. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract.
IPhone Support
Truphone also has an iphone application which will enable international mobile calls over wifi. Cool feature.
If you don't know what TruPhone is, its basically a Mobile VOIP Service that means you need to have a Mobile which supports Wifi and SIP. Truphone also works over GPRS, but the call quality could be poor due to lack of bandwidth. Most latest Mobile Phones supports SIP and Wifi, mostly all N and E series Nokia phones do support SIP and VOIP Calling.
TruPhone's TruUnlimited Landline package starts at $17, however it does not include all the countries and calls are restricted to Landlines only. Don't worry, They also have a TruUnlimited Mobile package which offers unlimited calls to landlines + Mobiles in all the countries including India and most other asian countries.
You have two options to choose from:
TruUnlimited Landlines ($17)
Unlimited calls to landlines* in 38 countries worldwide. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract. Also includes unlimited calls to mobiles in 9 countries including the USA and China as a bonus!
TruUnlimited Mobiles ($40)
Along with unlimited calls to landlines* this plan includes unlimited calls to mobiles* in 69 countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany and China. Call any time of the day, any day of the week. No long-term contract.
IPhone Support
Truphone also has an iphone application which will enable international mobile calls over wifi. Cool feature.
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