The Anti Phishing Working Group (APWG) reported a disturbing uptick in use of malware by professional gangs to filter consumers’ log-ins and passwords from their keystrokes or to direct them to convincing counterfeit sites even when they have followed advice such as keying a bank’s URL into the browser’s address bar a practice called Pharming.
This latest method of attack represents a change from the conventional practice of using a relatively simple e-mail to convince a victim to perform certain tasks. This latest approach has been proliferating in Brazil and Australia, however APWG said it was just a matter of time before attacks moved into the Northern Hemisphere.
APWG chairman David Jevans said in a statement yesterday that the shift could represent phishing’s second wave, with professional gangs using sophisticated technology to evade recent defenses like e-mail filters and consumer education.
