[Am-info] Virus writers turn to spam

[Erick Andrews]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3107613.stm

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Virus writers turn to spam
 
Britain's technology managers have issued a warning about spam
e-mails that act as a new way for Windows viruses to penetrate
organisations.

The spam message tricks people into clicking on a link that
takes them to a website but also, unseen, delivers a virus too.

Versions of the virus-bearing spam let people unsubscribe from
bogus newsletters or claim to give away electronic greetings
cards.

Technology managers fear that the viruses delivered by the
malicious message will include key logging programs that will
steal login details, passwords or credit card numbers.

Hidden and dangerous

Before now senders of unwanted commercial e-mail have used
viruses to gain control of innocent machines that they use to
send millions of messages on their behalf.

But now in a reversal of this tactic, virus writers are adopting
the tactics of spammers to spread their own malicious creations.

A warning about these spam-viruses was released by the Corporate
IT Forum (Tif), which is the industry association for senior
technology managers working at more than 130 of Britain's
largest organisations.

Over the past few years many companies have got used to tackling
viruses because of a surge in the numbers of malicious programs
circulating via e-mail.

Spam is becoming a big problem too and is often hard to filter
out because it can resemble legitimate e-mail messages.

By putting links to websites that download viruses, the creators
of the viruses are avoiding the scanners and filters that stop
malicious programs that typically travel inside e-mails.

'Danger of spam'

"Clicking on a link in a spam e-mail is the equivalent of
handing a burglar the keys to your house," said David Roberts,
chief executive of Tif.

"People must understand that there could be a very nasty shock
lurking behind each and every spam e-mail."

Mr Roberts said spam was becoming an increasingly large problem
and 80% of the e-mail dealt with by some Tif members was now
unwanted commercial messages.

He said the rise of the spam-virus turned what was an irritant
into something more dangerous.

Mr Roberts urged people to think before they click on links in
e-mail messages and to be suspicious of any messages they get
that they were not expecting.
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-- 
Erick Andrews