FYI - Trojans, PIN Numbers, Laptop Thieves

New Trojans Target Bank Accounts
A new breed of malicious software doesn't even bother to steal victims’ bank-account numbers and passwords – it simply lies in wait until they log into their account, then transfers money out. That warning comes from anti-virus technologists from MessageLabs, a security firm. These malicious programs, called Trojans because they hide inside infected PCs until the time is right, are growing so rapidly that they are now No. 3 on MessageLabs’ list of common cyber-threats. Typically, experts say, the bank-robber Trojans arrive in e-mail messages asking recipients to click on an innocent-looking link, such as an online greeting card.

Half of Cardholders Write Down PINs
Everybody knows that the worst of all PIN sins is to write down your password, right? So security experts are shaking their heads in frustration at a new survey that finds almost half of all consumers have jotted down their debit- and credit-card PINs in case they forget them. Moreover, about 15% confessed they keep their PIN written on a slip of paper in their purse or wallet – meaning that if the purse or wallet is lost or stolen, the thief or finder has all the info needed to empty the victim’s bank account. The study found the most common spot for the written-down PIN is the home, while 12% of consumers keep theirs on their cell phone.

Laptop Thefts Expose Sensitive Data
Ameriprise Financial Inc. is the latest U.S. business to suffer a potentially devastating laptop theft. The Minneapolis-based investment firm says the recent theft of a worker’s portable PC has exposed approximately 225,000 clients and financial advisors to fraud. The laptop was stolen from the employee’s car, which was locked at the time. The company determined that the employee had failed to properly secure the laptop and fired him, a company spokesman said.

© National Security Institute, Inc. – Content excerpted from NSI’s SECURITYsense—a monthly information security awareness service for educating your end users. This copyrighted article is the property of the National Security Institute and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any form without license agreement. For more information on the SECURITYsense program and to view FREE samples, visit http://nsi.org/SECURITYsense2.html.





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