New Threat Emerges To OnlineAccounts

WASHINGTON - (03/15/06) – Move over phishing andpharming, a new malicious threat is emerging for online bankingcustomers, according to law enforcement and financial authorities.Brazilian police said they recently busted a ring of cyber-thieveswho used keylogging programs that silently mimic the keystrokes ofpersonal computer users and send the information to online crooks.The program, which is hidden inside other software known as Trojanhorses, is used to obtain personal account and PIN information fromunsuspecting online consumers. In many cases, a keylogger willsimply wait for certain web sites to be visited, like a bankingsite, or a credit card account online or for certain keywords to beentered, like ‘SSN’, then spring into life. Police inBrazil said they arrested 55 people last month they believe usedkeylogging programs to steal about $4.7 million from 200 accountsat six Brazilian banks. A similar ring, broken up by Russianauthorities last month, used keylogging Trojans planted in emailmessages and hidden in web sites to steal more than one millioneuros from accounts in French banks.