Recently, we came across an application that displays the message “Tornado Randomly Appears During Soccer Game” on Facebook:

Clicking on the message forces the download of a script from http://<IP Removed>/fb2.js, which displays a Facebook login message. If the user is logged in to Facebook, the malicious app will log the user out and ask him/her to log in again:

When the user clicks on the “Login” button, it will show the login form:

 
When the user enters login details and clicks on the Login button, the fake application sends two POST requests: one to Facebook.com, and the other to the malicious server. The request sent to the malicious server has the...

Internet advertising has the potential to be a very worthwhile method for generating income. However, advertising on the Internet typically produces a higher return of payment if the ads themselves are clicked. Therefore, there is a high incentive for scammers to devise ways to ensure that the ads hosted on sites under their control are clicked – be it through malware, automated scripts, email spam links, or any other method. After all, potential profit drives innovation – for legitimate and illegitimate business alike.

However, advertisement networks are capable of identifying illegitimate activity on their networks, which increases the need for scammers to hide illegitimate activity for as long as possible, thereby allowing them to reap the largest possible profit. In the past, we have observed various Trojans that connect to websites and click on the ads. Recently, however, we have discovered a more elaborate scam that establishes a network of fake dating/...

2011 Internet Security Threat Report Identifies Increased Risks for SMBs
Kevin Haley, Director, Symantec Security Technology and Response

Small businesses have flexibility that can provide them with a competitive edge in today’s Internet-based market. And, with ever more business being conducted online, keeping your sensitive information safe is more critical than ever.

Hackers do not care what the size of your business is. They only care if they can get past your defenses and relieve you of your valuables. What hackers do like about a small business is that they tend to have more money in the bank than an end-user and less cyber defenses than a larger company. And these hackers are no longer limited to highly skilled computer geeks. Using easily available attack toolkits, even a relative novice can infect your computers and extract all the information they...

St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on March 17. Traditionally, this day is celebrated with festive parades and music in Ireland, Europe, and even New York City. Among the many popular traditions that surround St. Patrick’s Day, one cannot miss out on the food, drink, and merriment at local pubs.

Symantec is monitoring St. Patrick’s Day spam, which is, as usual, offering various bogus products. In one such sample, all that the recipient needs to do is to take part in a very simple survey. Upon completion of the survey, the user will receive a $250 gift card reward absolutely FREE! But wait a minute—think twice before you even try clicking that button. Although the offer is perfectly tailored for the occasion, the reward that awaits the tempted is disastrous.

Subject: Are You Celebrating St. Patty.s Day?

Subject: St. Patty's Day Clearance - Huge Discounts on New Cars.

Subject: You have (1)...