The infamous
Zeus malware (Trojan Horse)has once again resurfaced, but this time it’s
using Facebook to further its crime spree. First detected in 2007,
Zeus
has infected millions of computers
over the past six years. Despite the efforts of numerous security firms
to combat the
Trojan horse, it has only gotten stronger with age.
Following the initial infection, the virus lays dormant until an online
banking site is opened. It then uses keyloggers to steal the
unsuspecting victim’s usernames and passwords. Sometimes the Zeus
malware goes even further - it replicates the bank's website, using a
fake interface to obtain social security
numbers, credit card digits, and other sensitive information.
It is for this reason that
Zeus is so effective. Even when your bank
account is fully drained, the malware continues to search for any
tidbits of data that can be sold on the black market. And unlike most
malicious software, there are little to no warning signs - the computer
will continue to operate normally, as an outright crash was never the
intent.
Fake or Bogus Facebook pages are now being used to spread
the malware.The big concern is how little Facebook is doing to combat the threat. The social media giant, Facebook
suggested that users should take matters into their own hands by signing
up for scanners that can identify and remove the Trojan.
Below: how the Zeus malware works
We recommend that you use the tools listed below to remove this malware:
- Rkill ( preferably run this in safemode - this will stop any unwanted processes and allow the removal tools to run effectively )
- Malwarebytes ( malware removal tool - removes infection )
- Super anti Spyware ( malware removal tool- i would use this after Malwarebytes to make sure that all infections have been removed ).
Links to these programs can be found here:
Free Software & Tools
