Bin Laden Virus To Wreak Havoc, Warns FBI

Osama is dead but is still wreaking havoc. If you get an e-mail containing bin Laden links, then it's a fake, says the FBI.

Click to enlarge

The FBI has issued a warning to computer users "to exercise caution when they receive e-mails that purport to show photos or videos of Osama bin Laden's recent death."

It warns users not to open unsolicited e-mails or click links contained within such messages, as it could be from an unknown sender.

There are several email and Facebook scams doing the rounds, one shows a Facebook page, claiming to be a video of "Osama bin Laden killed live on video."

Other emails have links saying: "See video in which Osama bin Laden is shown holding a newspaper with today's date and disprove his possible death reported by OBAMA" and another says "pictures-of-osama-dead.exe."

The news of the demise of bin Laden, the godfather of terrorism and leader of al-Qa'eda, and on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List for more than a decade was met with jubilation across the world.

The emails, if opened, could contain a virus that could damage computers and the "malware" can embed itself in computers and spread to users' contact lists, thereby infecting their systems and could also capture personal information.

Users should also ensure they have up-to-date firewall and anti-virus software running on their machines to detect and deflect malicious software, the US's Internet Crime Complaint Center recommends.

IT security experts McAfee agrees, branding the mails "expected lures" in a blog.

"Beware of any verbiage, subject lines in emails, or links via Facebook or Twitter that contain words like these–as they will almost certainly get you into trouble," it warned. 

 

News of the death of bin Laden, confirmed by a simple tweet by a former White House staffer from his BlackBerry at 10.25 EST on May 02 sent news outlets around the world into a frenzy of activity and online searches in the US surpassed the recent interest in the British Royal Wedding.

The attack on the al-Qa'eda leader by US forces was first reported on Twittter by an IT consultant based in Abbottabad, Pakistan, who said "Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event)."

He was finally caught in a hideout suburb near the town of city of Abbottabad, Pakistan.

"So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn," Keith Urbahn, the former Chief of Staff of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wrote on Twitter.

However, Urbahn who also describes himself as a  Navy Reserve intel officer came in from criticism from one follower, who criticised the casual nature of the post without getting confirmation first, retweeting "I gotta say...you broke this first. Everyone was crediting you before it was confirmed. Nice work."

However, it did turn out to in fact be true, although Urbahn downplayed the significance of the event, later tweeting "Stories about the 'death of MSM [mainstream media]' because of my 'first' tweet are greatly exaggerated."

He also cited his source his source as being from the media from "a connected network TV news producer."

 

Following the tweet, The White House confirmed the death soon after, which was followed by an official address by President Obama at 11.00 EST.  

 

 

FBI goes after Anonymous suspects

The FBI has carried out over 40 searches in an investigation into cyberattacks launched by the Anonymous group in support of whistle-blower site Wikileaks. 

The swoop on Thursday was part of an international police operation that included the UK Metropolitan Police Central eCrime Unit (PCeU), the FBI said. It follows the arrest of five young men in the UK on suspicion of involvement in the same Operation Payback series of distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS).

Anonymous's Operation Payback took down sites like visa.com after the company stopped accepting Wikileaks' payments. Credit: Elinor Mills/CNET News

"FBI agents today executed more than 40 search warrants throughout the United States as part of an ongoing investigation into recent coordinated cyberattacks against major companies and organisations," the FBI said in a statement on Thursday. "The victims included major US companies across several industries."

The Anonymous group of online activists has claimed responsibility for a series of successful attacks against websites belonging to businesses including Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, which stopped processing payments destined for Wikileaks.

The five men arrested in the UK have been granted police bail, the Met said in a statement on Friday. The three youngest — who are aged 15, 16 and 19 years old — must report to police on 13 April, while the oldest two — aged 20 and 26 — must report on 14 April.

Anonymous and DDoS: I predict a riot

The international police operation into the Operation Payback attacks was led by the PCeU, a Met spokeswoman told ZDNet UK. The other participants were: the FBI; the US Secret Service; and the national criminal police departments of the Netherlands — Korps landelijke politiediensten (KLPD), Sweden's Rikskriminalpolisen (RKP) and Germany's Bundeskriminalamt (BKA).

French authorities were also involved, according to the FBI.

Antivirus companies have put out updates to detect the Low Orbit Ion Canon (LOIC) tool thought to have been used in the attacks, the FBI said, adding that the US's National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance is helping in the investigation.

By Tom Espiner , ZDNet UK

FBI arrests more than 80 cyber criminals after computer virus siphons $3m from U.S. accounts

More than 80 people have been charged in connection with $3million being stolen from American bank accounts by hackers in eastern Europe.

Symantec NORTON ANTIVIRUS 2011 CD (1-USER)

The con artists used computer viruses to steal user names and passwords from unsuspecting victims, and then used the information to siphon off money from their accounts.

Foreign students were used in the heist to open up bank accounts in the U.S., which  were then used to transfer money that had been stolen in the cyber-theft scheme.

Vulnerable: Hundreds of unsuspecting computer users were targeted in a cyber theft scheme that raided $3million from bank accounts using Trojan viruses

In court papers unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, 37 offenders were charged with their roles in hacking into dozens of victims' accounts.

Charges included conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, false identification use and passport fraud.

Fifty-five others have been charged after a year-long investigation by the FBI.

Attorney Preet Bharara compared cyber criminals to classic bank robbers, saying: 'The mouse and the keyboard can be far more effective than the gun and the mask..

Symantec Antivirus V.10.0 For Macintosh With 1 Year Basic Maintenance - License - 1 Node - Price Level A - Mac

Mr Bharara revealed that the victims of the attacks included five banks and dozens of individuals across America.

Ten people were arrested early today - nine in the New York area and one in Pittsburgh. The others had already been arrested with at least 17 being fugitives.

The FBI said the cyber attacks included malware known as the Zues Trojan, which was typically sent as an email to computers at small businesses and offices.

Once the email's attachment was opened, the virus embedded itself in the victims' computers to secretly monitor their computer activity.

The virus recorded their keystrokes and captured their user names and passwords when they next logged into their online bank accounts.

The Trojan program also stole passwords for email log-ins and social networking websites that ordinarily only the user would know.

Iolo System Shield Antivirus & Antispyware - Up To 3 Pcs Antivirus - Complete Product - 3 Computer - Pc - English

Individuals known as 'money mules' were used in the States to actually steal the money from individual accounts.

Mr Bharara said those arrested consisted almost entirely of mules and four people who managed them.

'The Zeus Trojan allegedly allowed the hackers, from thousands of miles away, to get their hands on other people's money - with far less exertion than a safe cracker or bank robber'

New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance said people from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus had come to the States on student visas.

They were then recruited through social networking sites and newspaper ads to fraudulently open hundreds of bank accounts.

The money stolen from the victims would then be deposited into those illegal accounts and transferred in smaller amounts elsewhere.

Bitdefender Antivirus Antivirus - 2 User - Pc, Intel-Based Mac

Authorities said those who actually set up the bank accounts would keep up to ten per cent for themselves, sending the rest to those higher up in the scheme.

Mr Vance said: 'This advanced cyber crime ring is a disturbing example of organised crime in the 21st century - high-tech and widespread.'

Gregory Antenson, commanding officer of the city police department's Financial Crimes Task Force, said the police had shown up at a bank in the Bronx in February to investigate a suspicious $44,000 withdrawal.

This investigation then led them into the international probe that was already under way.

BitDefender Antivirus 2011 Pro Antivirus - 3 PC - Retail - PC

Janice K. Fedarcyk, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York office, said: 'The Zeus Trojan allegedly allowed the hackers, from thousands of miles away, to get their hands on other people's money - with far less exertion than a safe cracker or bank robber'.

Source:www.dailymail.co.uk