Beware of Botnets!

According to security firm Netwitness 75 thousand computers globally have been hacked with the ZeuS Trojan horse. The Kneber botnet appears to have been used for this particular attack. Many large organizations, including US government agencies and defense contractors, have been cited as being affected by Kneber.

The ZeuS Trojan horse, and the Kneber botnet, represent serious threats. However, they are not new threats. Everyone benefits from the fact that Netwitness shared their information about this incident.

Trojan horses such as the classic Haxdoor and other banking and phishing Trojan horses steal personal information such as credentials, for web sites you use. The credentials are sent to a remote central database controlled by the criminals. Cybercriminals then use this information for their own illegal activities. Examples include acquiring your identity to steal money from personal bank accounts, or access sensitive information

There are numerous other botnets such as this one. This threat should be taken seriously. It should not surprise anyone, though awareness and keeping security up to date is always critical.