Over the years, the World Wide Web has been regularly inundated with ever more sophisticated and dangerous viruses. Infamous malware creations such as the Morris worm and the MyDoom virus are stark reminders of what a truly malicious viral infection can accomplish. In that spirit, here are a handful of relatively new viruses you should be aware of and take precautions against.
Hand Of Thief
A common myth regarding Linux is that it’s somehow invulnerable to viruses. The reality is that Linux isn’t infallible and has been compromised by malware in the past despite the fact that infections in the wild are generally rare. The latest threat to Linux is the “Hand of Thief” virus, a banking Trojan being sold on hacker forums for $2,000.
Flashback
Like many Linux distributions, the Mac OS X platform isn’t plagued by the same virus problems as Windows. However, we’ve seen a number of Mac-specific viruses emerge recently. The latest threat is a version of the Flashback virus, which debuted in September of 2011. The new Flashback.N installs itself by masquerading as Apple’s Software Update program and can be a pesky nuisance if not dealt with quickly.
FBI
One of many new ransomware programs making the rounds on today’s Internet, the FBI virus freezes your PC and demands cash to unlock it. After visiting insecure websites, victims find a message purportedly sent by the FBI that demands payment of a fine. Fortunately, the FBI virus is easily removed using an anti-virus program burned to a USB drive or CD-ROM.
Crytolocker
Much like the aforementioned FBI virus, Cryptolocker is a ransomware program with a unique twist. Primarily aimed at users located in the United States, it encrypts a computer’s hard drive and charges $300 for the private key to decrypt its files. If you don’t pay up within a set time frame, the private key is deleted and your files are unreadable.
Avatar
Due to their great potential for mischief and elusive nature, rootkits have quickly become the weapons of choice for hackers around the globe. Once installed, the Avatar rootkit disguises portions of its code as innocuous kernel-mode drivers so as to avoid detection. Left unchecked, it can wreak havoc by modifying all manner of Windows API programs and installing other, more dangerous malware tools.
ZeroAccess/Sirefef
Though Microsoft and its allies in law enforcement have managed to deal a major blow to the ZeroAccess rootkit, it’s still a threat that should be taken seriously. Using exploit packs and social engineering, ZeroAccess installs itself on a victim’s PC, stealthily hides its presence and then downloads additional programs for the purposes of click-fraud as well as Bitcoin mining.
BadBIOS
Though purely theoretical at this point, one virus well worth mentioning due to its recent notoriety is BadBIOS. If proven to be a legitimate infection, BadBIOS will have the notable distinction of being able to transmit data using ultra-high frequency sound waves. According to its discoverer, BadBIOS can modify firmware, BIOS settings and more. Worst of all, it appears to be incredibly difficult to isolate and eliminate.
Words of Warning
As frightening as these viruses are, they’ll inevitably be replaced by more destructive examples in the future. We’ve entered a brave new world where cyberspace attacks can have grave consequences beyond the digital realm. Cyberweapons like Stuxnet demonstrate the real-world ramifications of such programs. At the very least, staying current on the latest threats is a good way to plan an adequate defense.