Facebook Worm

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Facebook Worm

The worm, known as Ramnit, dates back to April 2010 and steals stored login information. Ramnit was not initially designed to harvest Facebook credentials, but the Ramnit cybercriminals have recognized the value of Facebook accounts for propagation.

It is likely that the attackers behind Ramnit are using the stolen credentials to log-in to victims' Facebook accounts and to transmit malicious links to their friends, thereby magnifying the malware's spread even further.

In addition, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the fact that users tend to use the same password in various web-based services (Facebook, Gmail, Corporate SSL VPN, Outlook Web Access, etc.) to gain remote access to corporate networks.

As communication overall has shifted from traditional mediums such as email to social networks like Facebook, malware writers likewise are adopting their victim's preferred means of communication.

People are now less likely to click a random link via email, but trust is still relatively high on Facebook. Receiving communication from a trusted contact on Facebook will have much higher click-through rates.

Victims are simply not aware that the 'trusted' Facebook account from which the communication was received, may itself have already been compromised.

Remember not to click on strange links, to report suspicious activity on the social network, and become fans of the Facebook Security Page for additional security information.

Remember - always watch for scams!

Steve