Internet fraud has taken a sinister new turn

IN 2003 a hacker released a piece of malicious software (malware), commonly known as "Blaster", which spread worldwide in a matter of days and caused major internet congestion.

The main purpose of this malware was to render the Microsoft web unusable for regular web surfers. It was written by a disgruntled consumer eager for notoriety.

Unfortunately, those days are gone. These days, most internet attacks are much more sinister and are designed for financial gain, not cyber infamy.

Organised crime has identified the web as a goldmine – providing opportunities to launch cyber attacks that will earn large amounts of money at a relatively low risk.

A "compromised" computer – one that has been attacked – via the internet has become a commodity on the underground economy, an online equivalent of the black market.

Once a computer is compromised, it can be used for a variety of purposes designed to make money, including stealing users' personal identity information, like internet banking logins. It's relatively easy and it's the websites we visit every day that make it money for jam for criminals.

Malware has increased in sophistication during the past few years and is developed much like the mainstream software providers develop software. There are "off-the-shelf" and freely available tools which simplify developing and deploying malicious software. Once an attacker has the malware, they then need to distribute it; again this service can be bought.

The most popular method for delivering this malware to potential victims is to send an email with a link to a malicious website. These emails range in their topics, from seeing the latest celebrity video or sensational headlines relating to current events – e-mails we are likely to receive on a daily basis and not think twice about clicking on and passing on.

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