9/11 Anniversary Cyber Attack Alert
With the upcoming 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, there is expected to be numerous attempts to exploit this event by cyber criminals using various attack methods (listed below).
Be extra careful when surfing the web for the next few days and only go to trusted websites to get any news and/or information – i.e., CNN, MSNBC. It is always recommended to type the URL in the address bar to get to these sites.
There have already been attacks coming in the form of the newly established websites offering supposed content such as "Bin Laden alive," "in depth details about the terrorist attack," "police investigation results," and "towers going down" to attract the curious surfer. These sites are filled with links to scareware and phishing sites. Others criminals have created fraudulent charity donation sites that serve only to take advantage of gift-giving individuals at the expense of legitimate charities.
Some of the expected attack vectors:
• Spam with infected links or files attached
• Infected legitimate web pages
• Malicious web pages setup to look like charitable organizations
• Hacking attempts into corporate networks
• Social engineering
• Phishing emails
• Phone calls requesting information
• Fake auctions selling 9/11 commemorative items or even claiming to have material from the destroyed structures
• Viruses embedded in video content on YouTube and other video delivery sites
Bottom line: When surfing, on your Facebook pages, or emailing in the next few days – the web is going to be an even more virus infested place than usual. Use extra caution at work and at home. Remember – your smart phone is just a mobile computing device and it can get infected!