Hackers Target Twitter Users on Macs and PCs

This article on ITWeb reports that hackers have been using Internet celebrity Guy Kawasaki's Twitter account to spread malware that targets both Windows and Mac users.

Malware is a term that originated by combining malicious and software and is a broad category for software that gets unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally) downloaded that starts doing things with your computer that you don't want it to do, such as spread a virus, track your movements on the web, display unwanted ads, or capture various account information as you sign in to different website accounts.

ITWeb reports that hackers posted a message on Kawasaki's Twitter page with a link that claimed to offer a free sex video of Leighton Meester, star of TV's 'Gossip Girl'. When someone clicks the link, they are takeng to a series of websites that say they offer the video for free download. Instead, when a user attempts to download the video, the computer you are using to check to see if it is a PC or a Mac and instead of the video being downloaded, the malware is placed on your system.

IT security and control firm Sophos advises this is the second time this month that hackers have targeted Mac users through X-rated videos. Why? Because many Mac users believe their systems are immune or far less prone to viruses and malware than PC users so they don't keep their computer's security up to date.

Kawasaki is reported to have 140,000 followers on Twitter, so the potential exposure is significant. Once the link is clicked users are asked to download an ActiveX control in order to view the video - doing so installs the malware on your system.

As Twitter's popularity continues to explode, it's a safe bet that there will be lots more attempts to follow. The best advice is to keep you security software up to date, be careful which links you click on, and be especially careful if you are asked to download something. The other point of this is that Mac users need to be more careful as they are certainly not immune to hacker attacks.

Sophos Video: What Happens to Those Who Click the Link
Source Article on ITWeb
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