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Subject: [ISN] Most Chinese Hackers Seek Passwords
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews ! org>
Date: 2006-11-29 6:17:20
Message-ID: Pine.LNX.4.61.0611290017110.12949 () conundrum ! infosecnews ! org
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http://www.informationweek.com/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196513736
By Gregg Keizer
InformationWeek
Nov 28, 2006
More than half of the malware coming out of China aims to steal
passwords from unsuspecting computer users, a security research company
said Tuesday.
And nearly half of that malicious code originating from China -- 45% --
targeted online gaming login information during October, U.K.-based
Sophos said.
"Given the ever growing popularity of online gaming here in the U.S.,
these are worrying numbers. The hackers' technology is growing more
sophisticated and more targeted every day," said Ron O'Brien, senior
security analyst in Sophos' Burlington, Mass. office. "Criminals can
wreak havoc by stealing money or someone's identity, all because a
person wanted to play a game."
A substantial fraction of the remaining password-stealing malware was
designed to hijack usernames and passwords from a Chinese-language
instant messaging client, "QQ." Although gaining access to a user's IM
client "may not seem like the end of the world," said O'Brien, the
danger is that the stolen password may be one used for multiple
purposes, including accessing a user's bank account or other protected
data.
China is frequently pegged as a major source of malware attacks,
phishing attempts, and spam. The country has held the number two spot in
the list of the world's worst spamming nations for some time; in the
third quarter of 2006, it accounted for 13% of the world's spam, for
example.
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