Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Instant messaging speeds up data theft danger

One of the more sophisticated pieces of malware in circulation has been given an upgrade that lets cybercriminals act even faster after they've stolen data from a PC.

According to security company RSA, the Zeus Trojan -- blamed for enabling countless online bank account heists -- now uses an instant messaging component that alerts hackers immediately when they've captured someone's authentication credentials. That can enable fast use of time-sensitive information, such as one-time passwords now often employed in online banking.

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