Fake Microsoft update spreading malware
By Joe Elvin
13/06/2011
A fake Microsoft security update has been fooling Firefox users into downloading malware onto their computers.
The malicious pop-up, which aims to trick users into installing a phoney anti-virus program, has seized many machines preventing users from accessing potentially crucial files.
It is thought that the virus has been created by the same spammers who recently constructed fake Windows XP and Windows 7 scanners to distribute malware.
Their decision to replicate the Microsoft Update design appears to take advantage of the monthly "Patch Tuesday" security updates which are sent out to Windows users by Microsoft.
Sophos senior security advisor Chester Wiesniewski claimed that fake anti-virus producers were becoming more intelligent than ever when planning their attacks.
For this reason, it appears to be becoming crucial for businesses to invest in some form of systems management software in order protect their networks from increasingly deceptive threats.
Wiesniewski toldtheinquirer.net: "Similar to spam messages that have corrected their grammar and use correct imagery and CSS, the attackers selling fake anti-virus are getting more professional.
"They use high quality graphics and are using information from our UserAgent strings that are sent by the browser to customize your malware experience."
Network World report that PC Users have been advised to only activate updates which have requested from vendors.
