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It is emerging that spammers are increasingly using zombified computers (machines that are infected with Trojan software which allows them to be controlled by the virus author) to distribute spam containing malware such as viruses, Trojans and phishing scams. The malware is usually compressed into a .zip or .rar file, sometimes password protected, as many antivirus filters are set to not reject encrypted archives (i.e. zip files with passwords). A password is often sent with the message and this can trick users as they believe password protected .zip files are more likely to be genuinely from a business contact.
Another technique being used by spammers is that of embedding malicious code within the HTML source of some email messages so that the code is run when the email opens.
Security experts have also identified a rapidly increasing trend in phishing scams exploiting the current global financial turmoil. Phishing scammers are sending messages appearing to provide advice or services able to assist people with concerns over their mortgages, savings and investments.
Some sources have reported that there has been a 101% increase in the number of zombified computers sending spam in the last month, possibly a sign that spammers are realising an opportunity to benefit from the current financial crisis affecting everybody.
Here at Remote Anti Spam we are working closely with our partners and developing new rules and techniques to detect and block this surge in spam and malicious content. In the meantime we encourage our customers and all email users to exercise caution when receiving messages from people they are not familiar with, especially if those messages contain .zip or .rar files (whether password protected or not).
Crucially, users should also ensure that their antivirus software is up-to-date with the very latest definitions and antivirus software engines.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:10
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