Customers of over 1,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world have recently fallen victim to a malicious piece of software, called the Dyre financial Trojan. Over the past year, Dyre has become a powerful tool for cybercriminals, enabling them to commit financial fraud, particularly in the US and UK, where the largest numbers of targeted banks are located.
Most users run into Dyre through spam emails posing as business documents, voicemail or fax messages. These emails all have attachments which, when clicked, will redirect the user to a malicious website, which will automatically install a file titled, “Downloader.Upatre”. This seemingly innocent file allows the criminals to get information about your computer and, ultimately, install the Dyre Trojan onto your system.
This Trojan conducts a two-pronged attack on users, stealing the user’s financial information from the browser (called a “man-in-the-browser” attack), and injecting malware into the user’s computer or device. In many instances, the victim’s computer can be added to a botnet, a network of computers controlled by the cybercriminals, and used to send out spam emails to other users to further spread the threat.
Stay Protected
Good news: If you have an active subscription to Norton security software that is up-to-date and installed on your system, you are safe from Dyre and related malware. Always make sure that your security software is updated in order to ward off the latest threats as they pop up within the threat landscape. Make sure you have the latest version of Norton Security by checking here.
It’s also a good idea to keep all of your software updated, especially your operating system and your browser, as the latest software updates will often include patches for bugs in the software that can let hackers in.
Finally, make sure that you pay close attention to your banking website when conducting business online. If something seems “funny” or “off” about the site, or you see changes since the last time that you logged in, don’t enter your password or login credentials until you contact your banking institution.