CH. 10 IMing not so safe.{0}
In this article found on pcworld.com it talks about how instant messaging increase the probability of theft danger. Zeus Trojans are responsible for hacking into bank accounts and stealing account information. There are some programs that can be able to block this Zeus Trojan. Zeus sends information to a remote server and then the information is sorted. The hackers used two Jabber accounts. They use one account to send information and the other account is setup to receive the information. Once they receive the information Jabber looks at the identification and looks for the identification at financial institution. As of September 1, 2009 about 3.6 million computers have been affected by this virus. They can catch this virus by not loading the latest security patches from your web browser and going to insecure websites. Zeus is believed to be a product of a Russian hacker who goes by the name A-Z. RSA is a security company that helps protect against the Zeus Trojan. According to RSA the hacker is immediately notified once they have gained control of the accounts.
Instant messaging is believed to be one of the safer ways to communicate. When you hear of viruses or trojans many believe that they come in through email. The Zeus Trojan is now being able to access the instant messaging part of the internet. This could harm businesses because if the hackers are able to get a hold of financial accounts it could hurt accounts that hold important information.
Reference: Kirk, J Instant Messaging Speeds up Data Theft Danger, PC World Retrieved November 5, 2009 from htttp://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/171200/instant_messaging_speeds_up_data_theft_danger.html