Hackers infect websites to dupe Internet users

April 1, 2011

People who fall for the ploy are actually installing malicious software that hackers can use to their advantage

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Computer user clicking a mouse. Computer security firm Websense on Friday was warning that hackers have infected a huge number of websites with malicious code crafted to dupe Internet users.

Computer security firm Websense on Friday was warning that hackers have infected a huge number of websites with malicious code crafted to dupe Internet users.

Hundreds of thousands of legitimate websites have been boobytrapped to redirect visitors to "lizamoon" addresses where they are greeted with bogus warnings that their computers have been compromised, according to Websense.

The ruse is designed to frighten people into downloading and installing fake anti-virus software, referred to as "scare-ware," portrayed as a Windows Security Center.

People who fall for the ploy, perhaps even paying for downloads, are actually installing that can use to their advantage.

(c) 2011 AFP

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jwalkeriii
Apr 01, 2011

Rank: not rated yet
My site was hacked similarly and the hackrepair.com people fixed it in a few hours. I was told this is not particularly special. Hundreds of thousands of websites are hacked ever day using all kinds of exploits within old versions of wordpress and oscommerce.
Burnerjack
Apr 01, 2011

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
If the malware is sold, doesn't law enforcement follow the money trail?
If not, why not?
Why buy a bazzillahetz machine when you have to run so much protective software that it bogs down anyway?
Death to the miscreants!
Rank 4.5 /5 (2 votes)
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