“This type of Zeus virus infects victims’ personal computers, waits for them to log onto a list of specifically targeted banks and financial institutions and then steals their personal credentials, forwarding the data to a server controlled by criminals. It can also manipulate web browsing sessions including creating an additional page requesting the victim to reveal more personal information, such as payment card numbers, PINs, and passwords. Users have no idea that they are being defrauded because they think that they are still on their secure internet banking site.
“This type of cyber crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated with organised crime shifting from on-the-ground methods to subtler online attacks. Bank customers are easy pickings for these criminals as millions of online users still do not have adequate protection. And with this particular virus, once it infects a computer it is extremely difficult to remove.
“Users need to make sure that when they are using internet banking that they use a machine that they trust. In particular, they should not use internet cafes – it is like walking past a bottle of beer on the street and drinking form it.
“The amounts stolen in this instance highlight the viability of this kind of attack and how vulnerable the average user is to it. Keeping your system and anti-virus software fully up-to-date can help mitigate some of the threats. However, the key to adequate protection lies in browsing and viewing emails with caution, paying close attention to any warnings displayed by your operating system, browser or email client, and being very careful what you click on.”