Security news24 June 2009
Gossip Girl sex tape lure spreads malware via Guy Kawasaki's Twitter account Malware targets Windows and Mac users
IT security and control firm Sophos is reminding all Twitter users of the importance of ensuring their computer security is up to date following news that internet celebrity, Guy Kawasaki's Twitter account has been used to spread malware that targets both Windows and Mac users.
Hackers posted a message on Kawasaki's Twitter page including a link which claimed to offer a free sex video of Leighton Meester, star of hit TV show 'Gossip Girl'. Actually clicking on the link takes users to a series of websites which offer to show a tape of the young Hollywood actress. However, Sophos notes that once users agree to download the video, the webpage will not show the video but will check if you are visiting the site using an Apple Mac or a Windows computer and serve up the relevant piece of malware.
"The fact that this tweet claimed to come from Guy Kawasaki is worrying since he has almost 140,000 followers, and therefore potential victims," explained Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, on his blog. "By offering the chance to watch a free Leighton Meester sex video, the hackers have probably succeeded in tricking some people into downloading their malware. What's more, many Mac users are still not running anti-malware, and thinking themselves immune to cybercrime, they might have seen no harm in clicking on the link just to see what happened."
Sophos notes that this is the second time this month that hackers have targeted Mac users with the lure of X-rated videos, and advises all computer users to exercise caution when clicking on links on social networking sites like Twitter.
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About Sophos
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.
