Computer security researchers from the ESET company have discovered a new family of banking trojans that attack web browsers, here’s how to defend yourself
A team of researchers from
A team of Slovak cyber security researchers has discovered a new family of banking Trojans that employ innovative techniques aimed at bypassing web browser protections and stealing money from online users’ bank accounts.
Experts from the ESET company discovered the threat, and the new virus was named BackSwap. Initially, the banking malware spread through a series of phishing emails in Poland, but it soon started to spread across Europe. The BackSwap virus acts in a rather classic way: the user is contacted through a fraudulent email message containing an attachment with a Trojan virus. The attachment contains a JavaScript code that, according to ESET researchers, is a variant of the well-known banking trojan Nemucod. Once the attachment is downloaded, the virus automatically starts installing itself on the computer.
BackSwap: the new threat to our bank accounts
Once the malware is downloaded, the user does not notice the ongoing threat, also because BackSwap virus is good at disguising itself as other running programs and evading antivirus scans. Once infected, the trojan allows you to install new malware, capable of tracking any activity performed online. Among them, of course, there are also those related to our home banking operations: the cybercriminal will be able to recover our credentials and credit card details.
How to defend yourself against banking trojans
The technique to defend yourself against these banking trojans is only one: never click on suspicious links and attachments in your e-mail. Even if the attachments arrive from a colleague or friend, think twice before opening the document: it’s better to check by phone if the email was sent by the sender in order to avoid nasty surprises later on.